Facing Fear
by Sydney Wood
Summary: There's a new threat at Hogwarts...and only one girl can protect the school-- Ginny Weasley. She's going through some major changes and finds herself as the new Slayer. And to add to the difficulties...what if she must be trained by her worst enemy!?
1. A Series of Surprises

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters you might recognize in this story. They all belong to J.K Rowling. As for the legend of the slayer, I am not sure who owns that. It has been around for quite a long time according to the very little knowledge I have on the subject. Most are familiar with it because of the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. You will not find any Buffy characters in here. It is strictly a HP fic, with my own little twists. :o)  
  
A/N: I haven't come across a fic quite like this one, and I hope that it is a different, original, and refreshing D/G fic from all of the others. I know I said that I wouldn't be posting another story until after I finished Piercing the Darkness, but I had this craving to get this story out of my head and onto the computer screen! So, hopefully you will all enjoy..and leave a nice little review for me at the end.  
  
Facing Fear  
  
Chapter 1 A Series of Surprises  
  
Ginny Weasley sat down her silverware with a content sigh, breathing in the delicious aroma of spices and sweet potato pie. Beginning of the Year feast was always so delicious. She took a quick glance down the table at Harry, who was busy in conversation with Ron and Hermione. They were in their seventh year this term, and would probably never have any time to notice poor lonely Ginny.  
  
She shook her head full of red curls and turned back to Colin who was telling her all about his summer.  
  
"We traveled around Scotland for a while before heading back to England." He was saying. "I took lots of pictures. I'll show them to you later if you want...the castles there are massive."  
  
"Sure Colin." She answered as enthusiastically as she could. "I would love to see them."  
  
Ginny yawned. She was tired from the long train ride earlier that day and was ready to retire. As if aware of her exhaustion, Dumbledore stood up to give some announcements and then dismiss them. She followed the line of Gryffindor's down the long corridors and up the many stone staircases, greeting some of the pictures as she went along.  
  
As they reached the Portrait of the Fat Lady, which marked the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room and dormitories, she noticed something funny. Three Gryffindor first years were heading off in a different direction, and they seemed to be up to no good. Maybe it was Ginny's curious nature that compelled her to follow them, or maybe it was the strange sense of foreboding that she was feeling.  
  
She followed them as closely as possible as they roamed around. She caught snippets of their conversation as well.  
  
"I don't like this." The smallest of the three boys said. "We could get in trouble, wandering about like this."  
  
"Oh don't be a chicken." The tallest of the three boys taunted. "They say there's secret passages and chambers in this old school. Don't you think it be neat to find them?"  
  
"Well..." the small one began. He had sandy hair and a light complexion.  
  
"If we find them, then we can go anywhere we like at any time." The other one spoke up. This boy had dark brown hair, was a bit chubbier, and wore a silly grin on his face at the prospect of finding a secret passage.  
  
They were now heading upward, climbing stair after stair. Ginny trailed along, she hadn't known that she was capable of being so quiet. Even though the lights had already been extinguished, her eyes seemed very accustomed to the dark.  
  
Ginny saw the larger boy lean over the staircase and peer down. It then happened as if everything were in slow motion.  
  
"Wow, we're up a long ways." He told his friends, laughing as he leaned even further over the railing.  
  
Ginny saw the whole thing before it occurred. The staircase jolting forward, deciding that it was time to move around to a different location. The boy losing his balance and flipping headlong over the banister, one hand flying out and catching hold of a slim edge.  
  
She bounded forward, and jumped onto the moving stairs at an alarmingly fast pace. She threw herself forward onto the railing, reaching as far down as her arm would allow. The reality of the situation hit her. This boy was dangling hundreds of feet up in the air, his one chubby hand supporting all of his weight. As the milliseconds shot by, his hand began to slip, and Ginny strained herself to reach further.  
  
"Grab my hand!" she shouted.  
  
"I can't!" he said desperately back. He looked downward and whimpered.  
  
"Listen to me!" Ginny shouted. "You're going to have to try and swing yourself upward!"  
  
He shut his eyes tight and winced as he used his other, dangling arm to swing himself up, at the same time using all his energy to heave his body towards her. Ginny caught his hand on the first swing.  
  
What happened next surprised them all.  
  
She lifted him up as though he was only as heavy as her Potions textbook. The boy opened his eyes in bewilderment as Ginny brought him easily over the banister and set him down. She stared at her hands and arms in amazement. How in the world had she managed that?  
  
"Weasley!"  
  
Draco Malfoy was marching down the stairs in a menacing fashion.  
  
"What are you doing out of your houses?" He asked in a tone that reminded Ginny of Percy.  
  
"I could ask you the same thing." She spoke up.  
  
He came to a halt and surveyed the scene in front of him. The boys were looking very guilty, but also very relieved about something at the same time.  
  
"What's going on here?" Malfoy asked suspiciously.  
  
"Why is it any of your business?" Ginny answered, speaking for the four of them. "You're out of bed also." She pointed out.  
  
"I'm," he began, drawing himself up to his full height. "The new Head Boy."  
  
Ginny almost choked on the laughter that was begging to escape. She heard the boys gasp, and then one of them pointed to a badge on Malfoy's robes.  
  
It was a Head Boy badge.  
  
"Who in their right mind made you Head Boy!?" Ginny asked in both amusement and astonishment.  
  
"That would be the Headmaster Weasley." Malfoy grinned as though he were some kind of saint. "He thought that I would do a good job, and I took the offer because I can use it to my advantage."  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes. He would use it to his advantage all right. By taking lots of points from her house, giving her detention, tormenting her the rest of the year, and of course he could go anywhere, or do anything he wished.  
  
Her predictions were exact.  
  
"Forty points from Gryffindor. For being out of bed after hours, speaking disrespectfully to the Head Boy, and..." He paused as though trying to think of something else to blame her for.  
  
"Listen Malfoy." She began. "These boys, um, got lost and.."  
  
"I really don't care about them Weasley." He replied, lowering his voice and narrowing his eyes at her. "It's you I'd rather annoy."  
  
Ginny took deep calming breaths as she ran over the predicament she was in. Draco Malfoy, her brother's worst enemy, a teacher suck-up, rude, insensitive, selfish rich brat, not to mention very good-looking Slytherin, had for some unexplained reason been named Head Boy, and just happened to catch her after pulling a first year up over the railing without straining herself at all. The boys were still looking at her in awe, obviously still wondering (as she herself was) how she had managed to save the dark-haired boy. Malfoy was looking from them to her, and she was still standing there, fists clenched at her sides..breathe in, breathe out...  
  
Experiencing weird body strength and running into Malfoy in the same night, was not her idea of a good first day back at school.  
  
"Malfoy," she began, forcing herself to be calm as her voice wavered just a bit. "Please just let us go back peacefully to our dorms, and we will promise not to break any rules again."  
  
Draco looked at the boys.  
  
"You all can go." The boys all let out a relieved sigh, and Ginny turned around to follow them. "But you Weasley," Malfoy grabbed her arm. "You can come with me."  
  
Ginny let out an impatient protest and yanked her arm away from Malfoy.  
  
"This is so ridiculous! What was Professor Dumbledore thinking!? Making you of all people Head Boy!?"  
  
"I took on the job with great honor." Malfoy said in fake proud tone.  
  
"I bet you did." Ginny said sarcastically. "So tell me, what type of spell did you put on the Headmaster? I would like to know because it seemed to work very well."  
  
"Ten more points gone.." Malfoy seemed to be greatly enjoying this.  
  
Ginny made up her mind. If she allowed Malfoy to lead her off to detention, or wherever he was planning on taking her, she would have lost a hundred points by the end of the night. So, with a final sigh, and a glare at Malfoy, she twirled around and headed away.  
  
That had to have been the first time anyone turned their back to Draco.  
  
"Where do you think you're going!?" he called after her.  
  
"It's late." She said, flipping her curls, and not even bothering to look back at him as she descended another flight of stairs. "I'm going to bed!"  
  
"Why you.." Ginny heard Malfoy ranting as she kept going.  
  
She had just made a very unhappy, yet somewhat confused enemy.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Draco watched the girl march down the steps with...he searched mentally for the right term to describe it. Intrigued. That was it..she was very intriguing. She had seen right through his whole "Head Boy" act. But of course, she didn't know the real reason behind him being named Head Boy. It had been the Council that had suggested it actually. They had sent Dumbledore a letter and everything. It would make it much easier for Draco to move around at his will...all the time searching.  
  
Draco sighed inwardly and wondered if he would ever find her. The One. The Chosen One. He desperately hoped that she would be a Slytherin. It would make the relationship much easier on both of them. He shuddered to think of actually having to train a Gryffindor, or a Hufflepuff for that matter.  
  
As the Weasley girl finally disappeared out of his sight, (he realized with a shock that he had been staring at her the whole time) he turned around to continue his nightly prowl. His thoughts eventually turned to his mother..he hated when that happened. The screams would pierce his mind and his soul. The remembrance of blood everywhere, the night he had found her. The night he had found the creature. The night his world had turned upside down.  
  
His father had been away that night. Maybe it was part of the reason Draco hated him so much now..he felt that if his father had been there, some things might have been prevented. But his father was deep into the Dark Arts, and was sometimes gone weeks or even months at a time because of it.  
  
Draco had been out practicing Quidditch late into the night the summer after his fourth year. It was dark when he entered the manor, and heard the screams. Screams of pain. He had run up the stairs, down the hall, and into his mother's room. The screams had died down and become screams of death as he burst through her door.  
  
A vampire dropped Narcissa Malfoy onto the floor as Draco entered. He had great long fangs protruding from his mouth, fresh blood dripping off them. He watched in horror as the creature stared him in the eye, before Draco turned and fled.  
  
Somehow, weeks later he found himself at the Watcher's Council. His father no longer cared about him, and had not seemed to upset about his wife's death. But Draco, who had never really been close to either one of his parents, found a different type of anger welling up inside him. He hated that vampire. Not just because he had killed his mother, but also because for the first time in his life, Draco had felt true fear. An over-whelming heart pounding type of fear he had never experienced before. He knew that if he were to ever get anywhere in life, that he would first have to conquer that fear.  
  
After rigorous training and sleepless nights, Draco's first opportunity to start his quest became clear.  
  
The new slayer was supposed to be a girl from Hogwarts. Since Draco himself was a student, he was in a perfect position for the job of Watcher. The only problem now, was identifying who that Chosen One was.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Ginny collapsed in an over-stuffed chair in the Common Room. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who were sitting playing a game of chess, looked at her in astonishment.  
  
"Malfoy's the new Head Boy." Ginny said simply.  
  
The looks of shock on each of their faces were priceless.  
  
"Very funny Ginny." Ron said at last. "Do we really look stupid enough to believe that?"  
  
The three of them started laughing, as Ginny watched unbelievingly.  
  
"But it's true!" she said. "I just got caught by him! He took away fifty points from Gryffindor, and we haven't even begun classes yet!"  
  
The laughter died instantly.  
  
  
  
A/N: So, should I continue?? Review with honest opinions, but please nothing to harsh!! 


	2. Not a Choice

Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters not mine. Plot-mine.  
  
A/N: I will admit, that the inspiration for this fic came from the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer and other books dealing with vampires and the Slayer, but the plot is my own. And except for the whole idea surrounding the Slayer and the Watcher's Council, this isn't related to buffy or anything else. (Besides HP of course!! ::grins:: Don't we all just love it!) Anyhoot, this chapter explains the whole Slayer and Watcher thing, for those of you who might not have fully understood in the first chapter. I apologize! Hope you all like this one!  
  
Dedication: To Sam and Hannah- my very great betas. And to Luna Writer- because I appreciate how patient and encouraging you've been with me!  
  
*Also thanks to ANYANKA for making sure that I remembered to explain everything clearly! Thanks for the thoughtful review!  
  
Facing Fear  
  
Chapter 2 Not a Choice  
  
  
  
Class schedules were handed out from Professor McGonagall the next morning at Breakfast. Ginny groaned when she saw that she had Potions first. She despised Snape, and frankly Snape despised her. She finished her breakfast and reluctantly stood up and headed to Potions. But as she passed the end of the Gryffindor Table she saw Malfoy talking to the three boys she had followed last night. They were talking and gesturing with great animation. Ginny halted and spun around to glare at Malfoy. She hoped that they hadn't told him what had happened.  
  
"Can't you leave these poor kids alone Malfoy?" Ginny asked in an annoyed tone.  
  
Malfoy straightened up and gave her the same type of glare.  
  
"You know Weasley, the story these boys are telling me is quite intriguing."  
  
Ginny tried her best to hide her emotions. She wasn't ready yet to discuss or tell what had happened. Especially not with Malfoy anyway.  
  
"Oh, and what is that?" Ginny eyed the boys and they all looked down uneasily at their plates.  
  
"That you saved this boy's life." Malfoy motioned to the bigger boy.  
  
Ginny raised her eyebrows as if surprised.  
  
"I remember when I was a first-year. I came up with some of the silliest things as well." She replied.  
  
"Don't try and deny it Weasley." Malfoy frowned but still seemed like he knew something that she didn't.  
  
"I'm not denying anything Malfoy." She moved passed him. "If you don't mind, I'm going to be late for Potions, and Snape already dislikes me."  
  
"Well how convenient," Malfoy began, changing his tone of voice to a livelier one. "I was just heading that way. I could accompany you there."  
  
"Don't bother." Ginny said. "I wouldn't want to be seen with you anyway."  
  
She heard Malfoy behind her, and he soon caught up with her.  
  
"Its not like I want to be seen with someone as low as you are either Weasley." A hint of spite was in his tone  
  
"Then why are you still following me?" Ginny asked nonchalantly.  
  
"Because I believe those boys."  
  
Ginny turned around to look him in the eye.  
  
"You seriously believe their story?"  
  
"Why shouldn't I? It was a pretty tense situation when I arrived on the scene last night."  
  
"What did they tell you?" Ginny asked. Her apprehension was beginning to show.  
  
Malfoy smirked.  
  
"They told me everything."  
  
"And why is it so important that you won't leave me alone?"  
  
They were in the Dungeons now. Malfoy didn't answer, but continued to walk along side of her.  
  
Then suddenly he whirled around and pushed her against the wall with all of his might. He drew back as though to punch her, but again- just like last night, Ginny saw everything that was about to happen.  
  
She dodged his punch and his fist hit the wall. She pulled his arm up and over her head, twisting it around at the same time, and spinning off of him, so that he no longer had her against the wall. She then slung him over, twisting his arm even further. He cried out in pain as she threw him down on the ground.  
  
She looked down at him with wide eyes. Ginny had just thrown a six foot three, seventeen-year-old boy, onto the floor. She muttered a quick apology before turning and running. He called after her, but she didn't stop running. In fact, she couldn't ever remember running so fast in her life-she wasn't even getting a bit winded. Why was she able to do that sort of thing?  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Draco heaved himself up off the floor and rubbed his aching back before banging his fist against the wall. Why did it have to be her? Why couldn't the job have been laid on a more agreeable (or preferably a Slytherin) girl?  
  
But the story that those Gryffindor boys had told him, about how Ginny had saved one of them last night, and now this-it all pretty much fit.  
  
Ginny Weasley would be the new Slayer.  
  
The vampire's would practically come running to Hogwarts...because wherever the Slayer was, the vampires would be.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Over the next couple of days Ginny tried to blend in. This was an almost impossible feat because she had never blended in. Her red hair was always eye-catching. But she just wanted to stay away from Malfoy. She felt the blood rushing to her cheeks even as she thought about it. She couldn't believe what had happened.  
  
In the end she chose to ignore her incredible abilities in a neurotic situation. But keeping away from Malfoy seemed to become harder and harder everyday. He seemed to follow her down corridor's, to classes, to Gryffindor Tower, and pretty much everywhere..and so far she had been able to avoid him. Until today...while she was sitting in Potions.  
  
"After cutting up the Branbel, add the-" Professor Snape was interrupted as the door flew open to reveal Malfoy.  
  
Ginny sunk as low as possible in her seat, but she still saw Malfoy look her way.  
  
"Yes Mr. Malfoy?" Snape asked, with only a hint of annoyance for the disruption.  
  
"I need to see Ginny Weasley Professor." He answered. Ginny felt her cheeks burn at being pointed out by the Head Boy, and closed her eyes in embarrassment.  
  
"We're in the middle of a lesson Mr. Malfoy."  
  
"I'm sorry Professor, but this is Head Boy business that I must attend to."  
  
"Very well. Miss Weasley, you better get the notes from someone."  
  
"Yes Professor." Ginny mumbled as she stood up. There were a lot of students whispering to one another as she exited.  
  
Draco closed the door behind her and she whirled around to start yelling at him.  
  
"What did you do that for!? Look, I'm sorry about what happened but you did try to punch me!"  
  
Draco put his arm through hers and led her down the hall as she rambled on. She didn't even seem to notice where they were heading, and he pretty much blocked her argument out.  
  
Finally she stopped for breath. She looked down to see that Malfoy had his arm through her own. She hadn't even realized that before, she had been so mad.  
  
"Where are you taking me? And why are you being so quiet?" She was trying to decide weather or not to push Draco off of her, until she realized that it was very dark and damp in this part of the dungeons that Ginny had never explored. Suddenly Snape's classroom looked warm and appetizing.  
  
"I knew you would be upset, and I decided to let you rant and get it all out." He answered with just a slight hint of amusement. "As to where I'm taking you...have a look." They stopped in front of an iron door. He tapped his wand on the handle, muttered something Ginny couldn't hear, and the door swung open.  
  
He brought her inside where he pulled away from her to go and light some of the torches suspended on the wall. Ginny felt chilled, and wished that Malfoy had stayed at her side.  
  
The lights illuminated a grand room, filled with many things Ginny did and did not recognize.  
  
"What is all this stuff?" she asked in wonderment.  
  
She did perceive pairs of chains hanging on the opposite wall, there was a large fire-place on the wall to her right, with a couch in front of it, and a table in the back of the room that held what looked like some magical potion ingredients.  
  
"This stuff if now a part of your life." Malfoy responded. He pointed to a strange contraption sitting in the middle of the room. "This will help in your training."  
  
Ginny stared at the thing. It was made of a shiny metal and had a seat, with bars coming out of it all over the place, seemingly connected to other bars and things on the back. What was he talking about?  
  
"What do you mean 'training?' I still don't get this."  
  
"Maybe we better sit down." He motioned to the couch, and she sat on the end, away from Malfoy.  
  
"You brought me out of class to show me a bunch of junk?"  
  
"This room does not hold a bunch of junk. The strange things you see in here are what muggles use to stay in shape..this would be known as a home gym."  
  
Ginny stared at him blankly.  
  
"Are you saying I'm fat?" she asked threateningly.  
  
"No!" he sighed. "I guess I better tell you my story first."  
  
Ginny waited. A little impatiently, but curiously also.  
  
Draco launched into the story about seeing a vampire kill his mother and going to the Watcher's Council. Although he didn't tell her why he went.  
  
"And they told me that the new Slayer would be here."  
  
Ginny couldn't believe what she was hearing.  
  
"And what is a Slayer? What is the Winter's Council?" she asked unbelievingly.  
  
"Watcher's Council!"  
  
"Whatever. What are they?"  
  
"The Watcher's Council is a group of people who are aware of the many vampires and demons that roam this earth, and they will try and warn others about them. They also study the demons and their way of living and killing, so that they can instruct the Slayer. The Slayer is simply the one who fights them and protects the people....she has great abilities and keen awareness of evil."  
  
"Ginny," he said hesitantly. "Circumstances show that you are that Slayer."  
  
She stood up in rage. "No! You've got the wrong person!"  
  
Malfoy also stood up and quickly came over to her.  
  
"Weasley!" He pushed her back down onto the sofa and stooped to eye-level with her, placing a hand on her thy.  
  
"I'm not lying to you, as hard as it may be to understand. Heck, I have no way of knowing what you are going through now...what you will have to go through. But I am here to help. Although you would not have been my choice for Slayer," he eyed her making her cringe. His touch on her thy was making her feel jittery and nervous. "But I'll just have to make do." With that he removed his hand and stretched it out to her, indicating that he would help her up.  
  
She grabbed his hand a jerked him down to her face.  
  
"You won't make do because I won't agree to this."  
  
"There isn't a choice!" he said, beginning to sound a little flustered. "This is your life now. It is who you are. It cannot be helped-who the Chosen One is."  
  
He looked her over a bit more willingly than Ginny would have liked.  
  
"Don't blame me for this. I'm just doing my job."  
  
She realized that she was still gripping his hand, and finally let go of it to see that it had turned a shade of purple. Ginny guessed that her grip had been tighter than she had known....or maybe she had known. With a small smirk lingering on her face as she watched Malfoy rub his sore hand she stood up.  
  
"And why did you chose this job Malfoy?"  
  
"Right," he said. "It's Draco from now on. I am after all, the one you will be spending quite a lot of time with." He smirked at her dismayed look.  
  
"So we'll meet here after dinner tonight." He concluded.  
  
Ginny sighed, she didn't have to give into this if she didn't want to....so why didn't she mind?  
  
Draco ushered her to the door.  
  
"Get back to class now, or I'll be forced to take away points."  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes at him.  
  
"Forced?" she asked, mimicking him. "More like, 'I'll be pleased to take away some points.'"  
  
Draco's smirk became larger as he opened the door and leaned casually against it. He had his robes swept back, so that Ginny could see his pale, muscular arms leading down to his hands that fit neatly into his pockets. Making him the perfect model.  
  
Ginny almost hit herself.  
  
"Well," Draco said, interrupting her fanatical, and somewhat inconceivable thoughts. "It is very fun, taking points away from all the houses, and giving points to mine."  
  
Ginny glared at him before walking out without a word.  
  
"Right." Draco said, obviously pleased with himself. "Tonight then."  
  
She heard the door bang shut and it was then that she realized that he had never answered her question. 'And why did you chose this job Malfoy?' He had changed the subject.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Draco congratulated himself on a job well done. The only thing he had to worry about now was if she would show up tonight.  
  
He thought about all the other girls that he had considered being the Slayer. He had certainly never imagined that Ginny Weasley would be the Chosen One. But for some odd reason it didn't seem to bother him as much as he might have thought it would. She was definitely stubborn, and would probably be a headache to train, but for some reason she just fit the part.  
  
And when did she become so annoyingly pretty?  
  
  
  
A/N: So, how is it?? I beseech (isn't that a kool word?!) you to review!! 


	3. Allusions and Instinct

Disclaimer: All HP characters belong to the wonderful and talented J.K. Rowling.  
  
A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. Hope you like!  
  
Facing Fear  
  
Chapter 3 Allusions and Instinct  
  
Lost.  
  
Ginny was hopelessly lost. The dungeons weren't exactly her favorite place to roam around, especially at night when the only sound she could hear was her own footsteps. She now wished that she had paid closer attention to where that room was.  
  
She thought back to earlier that day when she had left the room. She had somehow found her way back upstairs then, but everything looked different now.  
  
So, she wandered aimlessly, cursing Draco underneath her breath, hoping that she wouldn't run into Snape, and all the time searching for that blasted room that Draco had told her to meet him at tonight. Ginny would have given up about half an hour ago had she known the way back to Gryffindor. 'This is so ridiculous.' Ginny thought. 'I do not want to be here...'  
  
Ginny whipped her head around. Her eyes scanned every inch of the damp narrow corridor. She had just heard one of the most frightening and oddest sounds. Her pace quickened, as did her heart.  
  
"Ohhhh."  
  
There it was again. A low moaning sort of sound that seemed to echo through her brain. Her eyes soaked everything in, but nothing was to be seen.  
  
A shadow flickered across the wall, and she turned down a passage off to her left, hoping to find the source of the sound, but dreading to at the same time.  
  
"Ginny."  
  
It was the same low, whispery voice. Ginny felt a pounding in her head, an over-whelming desire to run, but she didn't have anywhere to go. The voice knew her name.  
  
She rounded a corner. The voice was still moaning, shadows still flickering, but she seemed to be gaining on whomever, or whatever it was.  
  
"You're late."  
  
Ginny had run dead into Malfoy as she turned the corner. She was shaking violently, her face set in an expression of alarm.  
  
But suddenly she knew.  
  
"It was YOU!" Ginny cried, resisting the urge to pound her fists against him. "You were the one making those noises!"  
  
The previous sneer on his face was replaced by his all-knowing smirk.  
  
"Fear is dangerous." He said, almost scorning down upon her.  
  
Ginny was extremely put out. "Are you telling me that this was all some sort of a test?!"  
  
"Uh huh. And- you- failed." He spaced the words apart, as if she was a young child, and didn't understand a word he was saying.  
  
Ginny moved her lips, stuttering over words, and feeling even more stupid. She couldn't even begin to express her anger.  
  
"The most important principle of being the Slayer, is having no fear of the unknown." He continued, turning, and walking away.  
  
Ginny had no choice but to follow, she had no idea where she was.  
  
"If the Slayer has fear, then there is no hope."  
  
Ginny bit her lip to keep from saying something smart. Instead she concentrated on the route that Draco was taking, until she realized that they weren't headed for that little "training room". She suddenly found herself upstairs in the Entrance Hall.  
  
Draco sighed and turned her way, looking at her in a way that said he'd rather be listening to Professor's Binns boring lecture on all the many Goblin Rebellions.  
  
"Our first lesson," he began, motioning for her to follow him out of the large double doors, and across Hogwart's grounds. "Will be on facing the unknown..determining good from evil.."  
  
Ginny couldn't help but interrupt at that statement. "I've decided that you're evil." She said, with a smirk of her own.  
  
He didn't even stop walking.  
  
"Listen Weasley, I'd rather be training Pansy Parkinson than you."  
  
"I bet you would." Ginny said sarcastically. "Although I doubt that very much "training" would be occurring between the two of you."  
  
Malfoy turned to her, a revolted look on his face before snapping, "You're an insufferable little brat Weasley."  
  
"Grow up Malfoy. I don't have to be here."  
  
Ginny thought Draco might hit her, but she stood her ground, clinching her fists at her side. Even she knew that she could over-power him...even if it might be a bit difficult. But she definitely wasn't handicapped when it came to physical abilities right about now.  
  
Draco saw her erect and ready posture, and relaxed. He plastered a fake smile on his face, and through gritted teeth told her to keep moving.  
  
Ginny watched him as she walked slowly behind him. Every now and then he would turn around and tell her to hurry up, but that only caused her to slow down.  
  
"That's it!" He said after telling her to hurry up for about the tenth time, only to result in having her take a more leisurely pace. "Run."  
  
"What!?"  
  
"You heard me Weasley! Start running."  
  
Ginny's stunned expression quickly turned to one of intense dislike. "I refuse to do that."  
  
"Good luck then." He said, displaying a nasty smile, and looking around the dark grounds, his eyes finally coming to rest on the Forbidden Forrest. "You never know what will venture out of there around this time of night."  
  
And without another word, he started off at a sprint.  
  
Ginny watched him with fury, but the sound of something alive nearby got her running. She had soon caught up with Malfoy.  
  
"Thought so." He said, as they ran along side each other.  
  
Ginny refrained from retorting and instead asked, "Why are we heading towards the forest, if there are evil creatures in there?"  
  
"Because it's your job to fight evil creatures." He answered, as if it were the most obvious thing.  
  
"But I haven't had any training on how to fight." She said, frustration and fear welling up inside of her.  
  
"Training is just to better prepare you." Draco said, slowing down as they neared the edge of the forest. "You already have instinct. Use that."  
  
Ginny didn't want to use her instinct. She wanted to be up in her warm bed, tucked safely away from all the scary things from old fairy tales. The whole internal argument she had been having all day started over again. A part of her knew that she really didn't want to do this, didn't want to be under Malfoy of all people's training, didn't want to be the Slayer. Another part of her was full of curiosity, and almost a feeling of duty to her peers and even all the adult witches and wizards..even the muggles. Draco had said that there was only one Slayer to protect humans..and muggles were definitely included in that category. If she were really the Slayer, and she refused to protect those in need, then who would?  
  
Hoping that she wouldn't regret her decision, she followed Malfoy into the forest, putting aside her pride and readying herself for the....danger.  
  
As they went in Ginny moved toward Malfoy without realizing. For some reason she just felt safer near him, because he seemed to know what he was doing. This struck Ginny as very odd once she finally realized it...never had she even considered putting trust in a Malfoy.  
  
Suddenly Draco held out a hand to stop her, then motioned for her to follow him behind some trees.  
  
"Look over there." He whispered, while indicating a clearing.  
  
Ginny focused her eyes over to the clearing, searching for whatever he was pointing to, but she didn't see a thing.  
  
"Are you sure I'm the Chosen One?" She whispered. "Because I'm not seeing anything."  
  
"Shh. Just watch." He said impatiently.  
  
Ginny watched the clearing, her eyes glazing over the ground, the trees, the bracken, but still seeing nothing out of the ordinary.  
  
But a second later her sharp hearing picked up on something, and she moved her gaze upward, listening to the scraping sound. There was something large and black moving slowly down one of the trees. She assumed it had claws, which was making the scraping noise.  
  
"What is that thing?"  
  
"It's a balmo, a magical forest creature that only comes out at night. It has poor hearing, but excellent eyesight, so don't make any quick motions." Draco answered, never taking his eyes off the balmo.  
  
"What magic can it do?" She asked, fascinated with the creature. As it wandered around the clearing, the moonlight shone on its jet black fur coat. It somewhat resembled a bear, except smaller, with long pointy claws, and a squished nose, that rested very close to his huge beady eyes.  
  
"The balmo can create allusions. It can also move at very fast speeds if it's frightened."  
  
"What do you mean, allusions?"  
  
"Images of things." He answered. "Including himself. If you ran into one of them and spooked him, he may create the allusion of about a dozen more balmos charging at you, and you wouldn't be able to tell which one was real."  
  
Draco turned to Ginny, and she noticed a smirk playing on his face. "Let's see if you can tell which one is real."  
  
And without another word he shoved Ginny out of their hiding place. She rounded on him, anger flashing in her eyes, ready to give it to him, when she caught sight of the balmo.  
  
Its large beady eyes were on her, sizing her up, and calculating the distance between them. Ginny felt the blood drain out of her face, as the balmo began pacing back and forth in front of her. Suddenly about six more balmos appeared, drifting between the trees, all of them looking very real. They intermingled with each other, and Ginny lost sight of the original. But she didn't have time to try and remember which was the real, for they were all charging at her.  
  
Glancing up she saw a low branch, and jumped up, swinging herself off the ground just as seven balmos ran under her. They circled around quickly, and Ginny saw a couple of them heading up the tree she was hanging from.  
  
'Only one of them is real.' She reminded herself. 'The others are just an allusion..which means they won't make any noise...they're just images.'  
  
As soon as Ginny was in the face of danger, all of her senses seemed to gain vigilance, including her hearing.  
  
She heard a rustling of leaves on the ground, and glanced down to see one very angry balmo directly underneath her. She knew at once that it was the real balmo, not just an image. It was the one making noise.  
  
Ginny swung her body back, then forward, then back again, and released on the last swing, hurling herself forward and away from the original balmo. She turned just as it charged at her. Spacing both legs firmly apart, she faced it, and planted her right foot in the creature's nose with a powerful kick. It bounced back, and let out an awful screech before the other allusions vanished and he went running into the darkness of the forest.  
  
"You're definitely the Slayer..As much as I hate to admit it." Draco had stepped out of his cozy little hiding place.  
  
Ginny glared at him, and thrust both her palms in his face. "Look my hand are all scraped from the rough bark on that tree!"  
  
"It'll heal." He said without a care. "I guess that's enough tonight."  
  
She shouldn't have expected him to be concerned to begin with. The rich, stuck- up brat.  
  
Ginny led the way out of the forest, muttering to herself under her breath about how unfair life was. Draco stopped her in the Entrance Hall.  
  
"You used your instinct out there, and you did fine." He said, as though admitting that she had done well hurt like having a tooth pulled.  
  
Ginny felt her jaw drop. She stared at him with tension, unsure of how to answer that. She finally decided on complaining.  
  
"Yeah, well my hands got all scratched in the process."  
  
Draco walked over to where she was standing, and took both her hands into his. Ginny was surprised at how gentle his touch was, and felt her heart speed up.  
  
"Look." He said, glancing down at her hands.  
  
Ginny did so also, and was surprised to see that there wasn't a mark on them.  
  
"Another capability of the Slayer, is fast healing."  
  
Ginny stared dumbfounded, from her hands back to Malfoy. He cleared his throat and dropped her hands quickly.  
  
"Now get out of my sight Weasley. We'll start the real stuff tomorrow night."  
  
Ginny felt the anger surge through her again. The Weasley's were known for their bad tempers. But she held her tongue. She watched him disappear down the steps toward the dungeons and Slytherin House.  
  
She shifted her gaze out the doors, and into the darkness...where unknowing to her, one was watching.  
  
  
  
A/N: I'm very fond of cliffys, but this isn't a huge one. I know there hasn't been much d/g action yet, but don't worry, it's coming!!  
  
Thanks to these wonderful reviewers:  
  
The Dragon's Angel, Snow Devil (ozziegirlclaire) (thank you! Your review was very helpful, and I'm trying my hardest to make everything as clear as possible!), Rainbow Dreamer (aw, thanks! I love developing characters like Ginny, that you don't know that much about in the books. It's great fun!!), Milkey Way (Lol I love your reviews, you seem to have a great personality! Thanks!), Eclipse2003, james- waterford, Happy little Rin-chan, Aieron Granger (I love buffy and hp too!! Your review was so energetic! Lol. Thanks!), and Chocalate Muse.  
  
Thank you all!! Keep reviewing!  
  
Everyone else, make me smile and review too!! 


	4. Trouble in Hogsmeade

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters you might recognize in this story. They all belong to J.K Rowling. As for the legend of the slayer, I am not sure who owns that. It has been around for quite a long time according to the very little knowledge I have on the subject. Most are familiar with it because of the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. You will not find any Buffy characters in here. It is strictly a HP fic, with my own little twists. :o)  
  
~*~  
  
Now roaming through this darkness  
  
I'm alive but I'm alone  
  
Part of me is fighting this  
  
But part of me is gone. . .  
  
~*~  
  
Facing Fear  
  
Chapter 4 Trouble in Hogsmeade  
  
"Looks like the Slayer's in town boys."  
  
Cain watched the faces of the other vampires light up with glee and greed.  
  
A rather brave vampire took a step forward, indicating that he was ready. "Just say the word and we'll have the most delicious blood for dinner..Slayer's blood." He said with relish.  
  
"Be patient Matthew." Cain answered. The others moved closer, waiting to hear his plan. Cain was the oldest vampire there, although he didn't look a day over twenty. He was also the most powerful, the toughest, and the smartest. His name, Cain, sent trembling through any vampire; he didn't need a last name. In fact, he couldn't remember his last name. He was the ringleader, and the others respected him.  
  
"The Slayer is young and restless, but she is tough and stubborn also. I saw her in the woods, training with her Watcher. Hogwarts is too well protected with witchcraft and wizardry; it would be suicide to run in there after her. Instead, we'll draw her to us."  
  
Cain's evil smile deepened the pale and menacing features of his face. His hair was a deep brown, short and wavy, accenting his ruling look. His eyes were a flashing blue that seemed to stand out against his pale skin, which hadn't seen sunlight in many years.  
  
The others whooped and hollered, spooking the birds and creatures of the forest.  
  
"The sun will be up soon. Get rest, for we will be moving into Hogsmeade soon."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Draco found himself in the Slayer's training room, flipping through books about vampires, demons, and any other nasty creature imaginable. Ginny's success with the balmo had been surprising. They were powerful and menacing creatures, but she had sent it running in a matter of minutes.  
  
Her strength and agility was amazing, he had watched her every move from behind the trees while she fought the balmo, and marveled at the way she moved her body in graceful strides, like she was picking dandelions in a sunlit field rather than fighting a dark creature.  
  
But her stubbornness and temper would be a problem. Their personalities clashed..Draco had grown up hating the Weasley's, and she him. When he had realized that she was the Slayer, Draco had sent pleading letters to the council, asking if there was any other watcher available to train her..it was a hopeless plight. The Council of course had said no. He was in a perfect position as Watcher. The Council told him that he had extroadinary talent, and that the training should go smoothly for him. They apparently didn't realize that the trainer and student despised one another.  
  
Draco asked himself why he was doing this. Why was he fighting for good when he had only known evil? The answer lay obvious on his conscience, but he ignored it.  
  
He would start Ginny on her daily work-out process in the morning. He wasn't looking forward to it at all..she would definitely argue about it.  
  
He was right.  
  
The next morning Ginny stormed into the training room. She was wearing gray sweatpants, and a tee, her hair swept back into a tight bun on her head. She appeared as if she had just fallen out of bed, but she looked just as good.  
  
"I can not believe you sent a house-elf to wake me up at 5:30 in the morning!" She raged, motioning her anger with her hands, which were flying around.  
  
"Fine. I'll come wake you up myself tomorrow. Will that be better?" He asked, throwing a penetrating gaze her way.  
  
"No!" she shouted across the room. "I need my sleep! Why the heck do you need me at this time in the morning!? I thought vampires only came out at night!"  
  
"They do." He answered calmly, thoroughly enjoying her pointless argument. He would win in the end.  
  
She let the door fall with a bang, crossed her hands over her chest, and waited for his excuse.  
  
He wasn't going to give her one.  
  
"Start stretching."  
  
She didn't move.  
  
Draco walked around the long table that he had been standing behind, and came to a halt in front of her. He let his gaze meet hers, daring her to look away. They stood in silence, staring each other down, Draco noticing the brilliant shade of green her eyes were. She finally looked away, and he smirked. She might have more physical strength in comparison to himself, but he could beat her when it came to obstinacy.  
  
When she finally brought her face up to his again, he could see her flinch at his smirk.  
  
"You better get used to early rising, because you're going to be here this time every morning."  
  
She searched him for a moment, taking in his expression, her eyes lingering on his emotionless ones.  
  
"Fine." She muttered, obviously unhappy that she had lost the mental battle.  
  
He then went on to show her the training routine she would use. Guiding her through the instructions of how to use the equipment and everything.  
  
"By the way," He spoke up as she concentrated on her pull ups. "You haven't mentioned that you're the Chosen One to anyone have you?"  
  
Ginny looked up, startled. "No, but I'm going to have to tell my brother and family at one point aren't I? I mean, this is what I'm going to be doing for the rest of my-"  
  
She faded off with a kind of sad expression.  
  
"I had wanted to be a writer for the Daily Prophet, or Witch Weekly. Journalism has always fascinated me."  
  
Draco ignored her, although he couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. She wouldn't be able to live like a normal teenager any longer. She would be the Slayer until she died, and then another would be summoned, just as she was when the previous Slayer passed away. And the Chosen One didn't normally live a very long life. 'Oh well, it's not my problem. I still can't believe I got stuck with her anyway.' He thought, conceitedly.  
  
"I don't suggest telling anyone about your identity."  
  
Ginny looked up in horror.  
  
"So I'm just supposed to lie to all my friends and family about everything?"  
  
Draco sighed, and pushed the hair that had fallen in his face out of the way. "If you must tell someone, then I cannot stop you. But only those who you're closest too." He paused for a minute before nastily adding, "If you even have any close friends."  
  
"Bugger off Malfoy. I don't see you very high on the social charts."  
  
He straightened his robes importantly. "Why do I need friends when I have you?" He asked sarcastically.  
  
"That's very true," She said, smirking back at him. "You couldn't possibly need anyone else."  
  
She spun around on her heel. "I've got to get ready for class."  
  
"Be here tonight!"  
  
He watched her leave with loathing. He wondered if she would show.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Ginny sunk into one of the chairs in the Gryffindor Common Room. She had been training under Draco for a week now, and her body could feel the difference. Their arguments had increased in scale, because she couldn't stand his arrogant attitude towards her.  
  
She looked up as Ron, Harry, and Hermione entered the Common Room. Ginny hadn't told anyone about her newfound abilities, and really wasn't sure how her brother would react.  
  
"Hi Ginny." Hermione said, as the three of them took seats around her. Harry and Ron brought out the chessboard and began to arrange the pieces.  
  
"Hey." Ginny answered.  
  
"What are you still doing up?" Ron asked accusingly. "You've been coming in late recently."  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes. When was her brother going to realize that she was sixteen and could take care of herself?  
  
"Just out..." She answered, eyeing the three of them. "What about you? Where've you been?"  
  
"Oh, well," Ron started, a blush creeping into his face. "We were in the library, doing homework."  
  
Ginny looked over at Hermione who had suddenly found a lot of interest in the chess game.  
  
"Some of us were doing homework." Harry muttered. "Others were flirting."  
  
Ginny suppressed a giggle, and stood, leaving the three of them to work out their romantic differences. She just couldn't bring herself to break the slaying news to Ron just yet.  
  
She entered her dorm and was about to change into her pajamas, when an owl tapped on her window. Ginny let it in, and it dropped a letter on her bed and flew out again.  
  
Puzzled, Ginny picked up the letter, which only had her first name on the outside. She ripped it open and read:  
  
Ginny,  
  
Trouble in Hogsmeade. Meet me outside the library.  
  
-Draco  
  
The letter had been hastily written, so Ginny grabbed her cloak and swung the door back open, before she realized that her brother, Harry, and Hermione were all still downstairs.  
  
She couldn't think of what to do to avoid being seen by the three of them. So, she crept silently down the girl's stairway, and was relieved to see their backs turned to her. They were focusing on the chess game, and didn't even notice as she crept towards the Portrait Hole. Others in the room, looked up at her, some with quizzical glances, but most just ignored her.  
  
She ran toward the library, and seconds later came to a halt. Draco was there; his expression seemed a bit more worried than usual.  
  
"What is it?" Ginny asked.  
  
Draco glanced up finally realizing that she was there, he hadn't heard her approach. "There is a vampire roaming the streets of Hogsmeade, and I've been told that he's taken a young boy."  
  
Ginny didn't stop to ask him where he had gotten this information. They didn't have time. "Let's go."  
  
To her surprise Draco went and opened the secret passage that led into Hogsmeade. The one Harry had shown her, that lay behind a statue of a witch.  
  
At her startled expression Draco spoke. "Did you think that Potter and his little friends were the only ones that knew about this?"  
  
"How did you find it?" She asked, as they began to make their way quickly through the tunnel.  
  
"I know where every room, passage, tunnel, and corridor is located in this castle.. an advantage of being Head Boy."  
  
After what seemed like hours, but was really only minutes, they reached the end of the passage. Ginny was about to open the door that led into Honeydukes, but Draco pulled her back.  
  
"Something isn't right." He said, searching her eyes as if they held the answer.  
  
"What do you mean?" She was becoming impatient..that boy could already be dead.  
  
"I received that information through an anonymous letter...it could be a trap." He finished, watching her expression carefully.  
  
All Ginny could think about, was finding that vampire, staking him, and saving the boy. Draco had shown her the way to kill a vampire (which is really an oxi-moron, because vampires are already dead.) But to send the vampire to it's final death, she either had to stake it with a sharpened piece of wood in the heart, chop it's head off, or break it's neck. All meaning that she would have to get very close to the vampire to do so. Ginny again found herself asking questions like, was Malfoy really to be trusted? Or, Is this whole Slayer thing a big joke? The latter was the easiest to answer. Ginny had never before been capable of the things she was able to do now, so she pretty much accepted that she was the real Slayer.  
  
Ginny suddenly realized that she was wasting precious time.  
  
"Come on." She hissed at Draco. "I'm going to find that boy."  
  
Draco watched as she discreetly pushed open the door, and headed up into the store. She motioned impatiently to him, demanding that he hurry up. He sighed and finally followed her up.  
  
Ginny moved through the tables and all the people pushing through. This was her first real chance to prove that she could take on a vampire, and it was nerve-racking to say the least. She was vaguely aware of Malfoy following her as she moved out into the dark street.  
  
She briskly walked down the sidewalk, checking down streets and alleyways, hoping to catch sight of the vampire and his hostage.  
  
Suddenly she heard a cry, the cry of a young boy, and she rushed toward the sound.  
  
"Weasley!" Draco had grabbed her by the arm with surprising strength and whirled her around.  
  
"Let go of me! That boy's in trouble!" She breathed.  
  
"I think it's a trap." Draco said, giving her that funny stare again.  
  
"Don't be ridiculous. I can take on one stupid vampire." Ginny brushed his hand away, and began jogging. She heard the cry again, and turned down a damp, dark alley.  
  
She caught a whiff of something, and immediately knew that it was the smell of a vampire...the smell of blood. She threw off her cloak, because it was too heavy to fight in.  
  
There was a tall lamppost on the right side of the alley. It gave off a bit of light, although it was very dim, as it was slowly extinguishing.  
  
But in the small amount of yellowish light that it did cast, a leering vampire stepped into, from out of the shadows, dragging a boy that looked to be about nine or ten years old. The vampire had the boy in a tight grip around the neck. His face was deformed looking, and his long fangs protruded from his mouth, just like the pictures that Draco had shown her in all of his books. Ginny glared, thinking only of killing that vampire, as she pulled out one of her pointed stakes.  
  
Maybe that's why she didn't sense the other vampires at first.  
  
But when she did, it was too late.  
  
Her distinct eyesight caught movement around her, and suddenly she was surrounded..by many vampires.  
  
She stood her ground, her eyes glancing fleetingly around, taking in every one of the beast's positions. She wasn't going to make the first move.  
  
A tall vampire at her right moved forward, into the small circle of light. Ginny rounded on him, but he didn't make any move to start fighting. Unlike all of the other vampires, his face was normal, and hadn't changed to its true ugliness. He wore a derisive grin as he sauntered forward, and, Ginny realized, he had her cloak draped over his arm.  
  
"My, my, aren't you a pretty little thing." He lifted one eyebrow and examined her, while circling slowly around her. The pale light made his effulgent blue eyes stand out against his colorless skin, and every strand of his rich brown hair seemed to be positioned perfectly.  
  
Ginny only glared, too angry to say anything to him. She assumed that he was the leader of the pack, for all the other vampires watched his every move, as though waiting for a signal.  
  
He finally stopped circling her, and brought his cobalt eyes up to meet her face, at the same time bringing her cloak forward.  
  
"I believe you dropped this." He said with a smile, as though he were the most polite gentleman there.  
  
Ginny looked at her former cloak as if it were a pile of rags. "Keep it." She kept her voice low and threatening. "It will never be clean again."  
  
The vampire stepped back, as if truly shocked by her harsh comment. "Why pet, I'm only trying to be nice!"  
  
The other vampires chuckled, and Ginny scowled.  
  
"If you want to be nice, release that boy." All the vampires stopped laughing, and looked to their leader.  
  
He only stared at Ginny, the evil smile never leaving his face. It sent cold shivers through her blood, and she suddenly felt very alone.  
  
The vampire leaned toward another that had just approached. "Where is her Watcher?" And Ginny suddenly realized that Draco was nowhere to be seen.  
  
"He disappeared, Cain." The other answered. Ginny made a mental note of the leader's name. "Would you like me to take some help and find him?"  
  
"No." Cain drawled, lifting a finger to stroke Ginny's face. She pulled away, and lifted the hand that held the stake. "After all, our business is not with the Watcher, but with the Slayer."  
  
The other vampire nodded, and crept back into the shadows.  
  
Without even thinking about it, Ginny pulled out her wand and pointed it at Cain, saying the one spell she had never even dreamed of uttering.  
  
"Avada Kedavra!" She shouted. A blast of sparks shot out of her wand and hit Cain. He didn't even flinch.  
  
"The killing curse isn't going to do you any good." Cain said calmly. "How can you kill someone who's already dead?"  
  
Ginny felt the anger surge through her as she pocketed her wand, and gripped her stake even harder.  
  
"If you ever want to see the moon again," She said, hissing at Cain through gritted teeth. "I demand that you let that boy go..if you came here for me, then there's no reason to harm him."  
  
Cain glanced at the vampire that held the boy, and gave some sort of signal with the wave of his hand.  
  
"Oh, but Slayer, we do not think with reason."  
  
And to Ginny's horror, the vampire quickly twisted the crying boy's neck until a crack was heard and he went limp. The vampire threw the boy to the others who caught him hungrily, as Ginny pushed Cain out of her way and jumped the vampire who had killed the boy.  
  
It was surprised, and barely had time to react when Ginny had staked him in the heart and all that was left of him was a neat pile of dust. That kind of power gave Ginny new strength and she turned to face the others, who had stopped feeding and were menacingly moving forward.  
  
The first one to reach her was thrown against another, causing three or four of them to fall over. Ginny scrambled on top of them and just began staking like a crazed person, watching pile after pile of dust form underneath her.  
  
Two pairs of strong arms lifted her away form her victims, and she wrenched and jerked, trying to free herself from their grasp.  
  
She looked up from her captured position to see Cain leaning nonchalantly against the lamppost, watching the excitement with little care but much amusement.  
  
Ginny spit onto Cain's shoes as the others brought her forward to meet him. Cain didn't even glance down, instead he ripped Ginny away from her holders, and she felt his arm tighten unrelentingly against her waist. She hatefully brought her eyes up to meet his, and was almost lost in the cold, blue depth of them.  
  
"No Slayer that has had the privilege to meet me, has ever won." He whispered softly in her ear.  
  
Ginny only shivered as he placed his surprisingly warm hand against her face, and then moved it down to her neck, where he pushed all of her crimson curls to one side. He slowly brought his mouth down to her neck, never moving his eyes away from hers. And just as his lips brushed her delicate skin, Ginny spoke dazedly.  
  
"Then meet Ginny Weasley."  
  
And using all her built up adrenaline, Ginny twisted around in Cain's grip, and rolled forward, flipping him over with her. He landed hard on his back, and Ginny wriggled herself away from his grip while he was recovering, and stood up.  
  
She ran faster than she ever had before, breaking through the crowd of vampires that had angrily stomped forward, and staking several at the end of the alley.  
  
She turned down the street and ran towards the Honeydukes, tears blurring her eyesight. She crashed right into Draco as she rounded a corner, and he looked just as bewildered as she.  
  
"Keep running!" Draco said as she slowed. She looked over her shoulder to see a few vampires a little ways behind her.  
  
"Where did you go!?" She asked, as they reached the doors to the restraunt.  
  
"Throw this on." Draco said, tossing her his own cloak and ignoring her question. "I don't want you seen like that." Ginny looked down to see that parts of her black pants where ripped, and blood trickled down many places on her body. Some of the vampires had clawed her pretty good.  
  
Ginny did as he said, and they pushed through the room and made it unnoticed into the secret tunnel. Draco slammed the door, and waited quietly for a moment, listening for the sounds of followers.  
  
Finally he came down, and sighed as he reached Ginny, who had his cloak wrapped around herself and was shivering.  
  
"Did you save the boy?" He asked wearily.  
  
This brought forward many sobs from Ginny. "You were right! It was a trap! And they killed the boy right in front of me Draco!"  
  
"What!?" He yelled, seemingly looming over her. "They killed the boy!?"  
  
"Yes! Before I had a chance to do anything!" Ginny yelled back, suddenly angry at him. "Where were you? You should have been there to help me!" She turned the blame over onto him. Accusing him of not being there, to help her save the boy's life.  
  
Draco became suddenly quiet and turned abruptly around and started down the passage.  
  
"Don't turn your back on me Malfoy!" Ginny yelled, hurriedly following him. "Tell me where you went!"  
  
She was suddenly struck with an unpleasant thought. 'Had Draco been in on the trap? He had certainly seemed to know that it was going to happen!'  
  
Ginny grabbed Draco by the shoulder, and swung him against the wall, pressing her body into him. He gave her the same kind of stare that she had seen Cain give her. Like he wasn't surprised, and he really didn't care if Ginny were to beat him up or not.  
  
"Tell me Draco." Ginny whispered, almost scared to hear his answer. "Tell me the truth."  
  
With a slight smirk he lifted his hand to brush a strand of Ginny's hair out of her face. She suddenly felt very uncomfortable to have Draco in a position like this, but she ignored the tingling sensation coursing through her and pushed harder against his shoulders.  
  
"A vampire dragged me off down a different street." He finally answered. "Seems that he didn't want to share dinner with any of his other friends. I had to fight him off, but he was tough and I didn't get away until you came running."  
  
Ginny pondered over his words for a moment. His story seemed very believable to her. After all, she hadn't really been paying much attention to him as she went after the vampire with the boy. He could have easily been caught and dragged away without her ever noticing.  
  
"As much as I like this position," Draco's words brought her out of her thoughts. "I'm finding it kind of difficult to breathe."  
  
Ginny was glad that Draco wasn't able to see her deep blush in the dark.  
  
She was about to move off of him when he suddenly twirled her around, so that this time he was pressing her into the wall.  
  
"This is much better." He whispered.  
  
Ginny didn't even have time to think, as she suddenly found his lips on hers. She instinctively ran her hands through his slick blonde hair. The sensation of his lips against hers, his tongue begging for entry, which she wouldn't allow, and his hands pressing into her back as he moved them away from the wall and pressed her closer to him was enough to make her thoughts become scattered, and send shivers through her body. She sighed as he gave up on her mouth and began a trail of kisses down her face, and then onto her neck. She couldn't ever remember feeling this way with any boy..but suddenly visions of Cain's face jumped into her mind, and her eyes flew open as Draco moved his lips covetously over the delicate part of her neck.  
  
She pushed him away, terror fleeing through her blood. The remembrance of Cain's deadly mouth on her neck was too much to bear.  
  
"I'm sorry." She whispered to Draco, as she turned and ran down the passage, leaving him with feelings of confusion, anger, and lust.  
  
A/N: Finally, a longer chapter! And a taste of the d/g action too! ;o) I tried to keep the characters as much in character as possible. Let me know if you found anything wrong in this or other chapters.  
  
Thanks to:  
  
The Dragon's Angel: That was really encouraging! Thank you!  
  
Some dude: I'm glad you like it!  
  
Eclipse2003: I know, sometimes I just want to have Ginny kick Malfoy's ass, since she is the Slayer and everything, but I'm trying to keep her temper at a certain level, and Ginny knows that she's going to need her watcher (even if it is Malfoy hehe) to help her train and understand the creatures. Thanks for the review! It gave me a good laugh!  
  
Crystal: Yep, Cain was watching. Thanks for the review!  
  
GinnyYvette, Baby, and Celena  
  
Thank you all!  
  
Please Review!! It's what keeps my writing going! 


	5. Problems

Disclaimer: nope, not mine.  
  
A/N: I am so sorry that it has taken this long for Chapter 5! So, I'll shut up now and let you read!  
  
  
  
Facing Fear  
  
Chapter 5 Problems  
  
Ginny lay wide-awake the entire night. She kept seeing that small boy, in the hands of a nasty vampire, and then suddenly he was dead. Then the rest of the vampires jumped him, tearing at his skin...blood dripping everywhere. Cain's face would come into view then, and he held her as Ginny watched, unable to help the boy.  
  
As the pictures torturously played through her mind, hot tears ran down Ginny's cheeks. She kept hoping to wake up from this horrible nightmare. She kept thinking that in the morning everything will be back to normal; no one would have died, Cain would never had touched her, and Malfoy had never kissed her.  
  
But when morning came, her hopes diminished.  
  
And finally she drifted off into a restless sleep.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
When she awoke and pulled back the tapestry that surrounded her bed, the sunlight almost blinded her. It was high in the sky, and Ginny reckoned it was about noon. Lunch time.  
  
She had missed all of her morning classes.  
  
Sighing, she swung her legs over the side of the bed. And staring down at them in amazement, she realized that not a scratch was left from the night before. All the places where the vampires had torn at her skin were gone, as if the fight had never even happened.  
  
After taking a shower and dressing Ginny figured she better go and explain to her teachers that she had overslept, and get her make-up work. She dreaded the thought of explaining this to Snape, who's class she should have been in earlier.  
  
She took one last glance in the mirror. Her eyes were puffy from crying and lack of peaceful sleep, and her hair hadn't completely dried, causing little curls to spring everywhere.  
  
Touching one finger gently to her lips, she frowned as she remembered the way Malfoy had kissed her so possessively last night. But thinking about that brought back the nauseous feeling of failure.  
  
She left Gryffindor Tower, and headed to Snape's classroom in the dungeons.  
  
Unfortunately she met Malfoy on the way there.  
  
"I was just coming to get you." He said in that irritated tone.  
  
Ginny tried to move around him, but he stepped in front of her.  
  
"I have to go get my make-up work Malfoy." She finally acknowledged him. "So move out of my way."  
  
"It doesn't matter." He answered, still not moving. "You can do it later."  
  
Ginny wanted to fall on the floor and start sobbing. Doing this was hard enough, but seeing Malfoy after last night made it that much worse.  
  
Taking a couple of deep breaths, Ginny lifted up her eyes to meet his.  
  
"I'm going to ask you politely one more time-"  
  
"I never caught the politeness the first time." He interrupted. "School work isn't important. It's not what you're destined for anyway."  
  
Ginny opened her mouth to argue when the realization sunk in like a rock. She wasn't going to be normal any longer. She was going to spend her nights killing vampires and demons, and schoolwork wasn't going to teach her how to do that.  
  
So, reluctantly she followed Malfoy to the training room.  
  
As soon as he had closed the door the argument began.  
  
"You failed Ginny. You refused to listen to me!"  
  
Ginny stood in the center of the room, her mouth hanging open, speechless. She had gone through enough last night, and she definitely didn't need this.  
  
"I know that Draco! I made a mistake! Don't you think I wish with everything that I am, that I had planned it better, that I had realized it was a trap?!"  
  
"I told you, but you didn't listen." Malfoy said, pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace. "You're lucky that you're still drawing breath!" He stopped pacing and turned to stare her down. "That boy died because of you!"  
  
"Shut up Malfoy!" Ginny said, feeling the tears stinging her eyes. "Just shut up!"  
  
She turned towards the door, trying to escape the truth, trying to get away from Malfoy. But he wasn't going to allow that to happen.  
  
Striding over he grabbed her by the shoulders. "You can't run away from this. It happened, and you have to learn from your mistakes." His tone had become less harsh, and he loosened his grip on her shoulders. Just touching her like that made his heart yearn for more.  
  
She nodded in agreement, and began to work out with a new kind of fury, hitting and kicking the punching bag with so much force that Draco was afraid that it might not last.  
  
"I think it be better if you stayed away from Cain and his group for now."  
  
Ginny turned back towards him. She noticed the uneasiness in his voice and couldn't help but wonder what was going on. His eyes held a brief hint of something she couldn't figure out...almost like fear or doubt.  
  
"Why?" She asked incredulously.  
  
He hesitated. "Because you're..not ready."  
  
Ginny had never felt more ready. She wanted nothing more than to see Cain suffer, then turn him into dust.  
  
"Cain is strong and powerful." Draco continued. "The other vampires respect and fear him, and he's known for..well, to put it lightly, turning a Slayer into the slayed."  
  
The expression on Ginny's face if anything grew more determined.  
  
Draco turned and left. Soon the Slayer would be ready to get rid of Cain and his group. She learned quickly, and she was strong..too strong.  
  
It was going to be a problem.  
  
For Cain and himself.  
  
  
  
A/N: I know this chapter is too short...I normally would make it longer, but I decided to go ahead and post this anyway.  
  
I think Draco is up to something!!! You'll see in the next chapter, which will be full of secrets, revelations, distrust, snoggings, vampire dustings, and more!!  
  
Thanks for all the reviews!  
  
Correction: I edited the last chapter.the tunnel led to Honeydukes, not the Three Broomsticks! Sorry!  
  
Please review and make me feel special! 


	6. Many Suspicions

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, and therefore do not claim them as my own. But yes! The complex plot is mine! But not the characters! They are not mine. Does everyone get it? Good...now we can proceed.  
  
A/N: Thank you so much to all the reviewers! I greatly appreciate any praise, comments, or corrections! If anyone finds anything wrong in this chap please don't hesitate to tell me. I hope it isn't crap.  
  
  
  
Facing Fear  
  
Chapter 6 Many Suspicions  
  
Every night after her first run-in with Cain and his group, Ginny was out, prowling the castle, and every now and then wandering into Hogsmeade. She hadn't told Malfoy about going out so late all these nights. He believed that she spent her evenings training, like he had instructed her too. But she would slip away as soon as he headed for bed, and escape out into the night. She liked it this way, staying out till the early hours in the morning, it made her feel alive and ready for anything that hell wanted to throw at her. But staying awake during her classes seemed to be getting harder and harder to do.  
  
It had been a week now, since what she referred to as her "failure". And the frightening thing was, that there wasn't a vampire to be found..anywhere. They all seemed to have disappeared. No doubt, gone into hiding.  
  
But Ginny knew it wasn't going to be long until they were back...with even more force than they had begun with.  
  
She was going out again tonight. This time determined to kill a demon. She would hunt them down if that's what it took. That boy was not going to have died in vain.  
  
Entering Honeydukes through the secret tunnel, she exited the store and began her searching of the streets. Drifting from shadow to shadow, her eyes alert at the slightest movement, her hand tucked safely around the wooden stake placed securely in the back of her muggle style jeans.  
  
She smelt him first, the coppery essence of blood, and unusual smell of death. She shifted her gaze around, taking in the environment. She was walking through the cemetery, a prime spot to kill newly sired vampires. But this vampire...it wasn't new. It had been very much dead for a long time. Ginny spun on her heels, sensing movement behind her, and found Cain resting quite calmly against a particularly large tombstone.  
  
"Good evening Ginny." He said, his eyes moving steadily over her body.  
  
The use of her first name startled her so, that Ginny lost her train of thought.  
  
"Ah," He began, waving his hand with elegant strokes through the air, watching with delight her dumbfounded and annoyed expression. "I know more than you think. I am a diligent person, and use all my free time doing resourceful things..such as looking up information on our charming new Slayer."  
  
He made it sound as though she were a magical creature, it's habits and origin being studied by a student.  
  
"You're alone." She stated, changing the subject. "I hope your friends aren't to far away..because you'll need all the help you can get."  
  
She pulled out the stake, indicating that she was ready to fight.  
  
"You are cute when you're all riled up pet. This fiery look gets in your eyes. It's very sexy."  
  
Ginny lunged forward, knocking Cain to the ground, and straddling him there.  
  
"A bloody worthless specimen you are Cain." She spat. "And after I've finished you off, I'm going to find all of your little friends as well, and break their necks with pleasure."  
  
"Don't be so sure Slayer." He retorted. And with more strength than Ginny had expected, he flipped over, landing with his full weight on top of her. He shoved her wrists to the ground and held them there. Effectively steering the stake away from his heart.  
  
Ginny felt her breathing stagger...she was losing control of her emotions and was beginning to panic. All of her training and strength seemed to melt away, leaving her body feeling very empty.  
  
Cain's mesmerizing blue eyes were only inches from her own. A glow of anger filled them...or was it hunger?  
  
"You see," He spoke softly, sending shivers through Ginny. "You could not win if you tried. The other night..I could have gone after you, overtaken you, and ended what would have been a miserable life."  
  
A pleased smirk played on his face, and he pushed down on Ginny with all his might, causing her to gasp.  
  
"But I decided that I would rather kill you after we had a bit of time to get to know one another..and when the other vampires weren't around to rush the process."  
  
Ginny struggled underneath him, the small little pebbles on the ground pressing hard into her back. She shouldn't be going weak like this..he was just a vampire after all.  
  
"And although Slayer blood does sound quite appetizing, I must refrain from my hunger for now."  
  
Ginny's eyes widened in surprise. Was he saying that he wasn't going to try and kill her?  
  
"It's not the right time." He continued, a hint of something in his voice that aroused her suspicion. "Not yet doll..."  
  
His mouth wandered to her ear, and he gave it a quick nip, drawing a small amount of blood, before releasing her and moving away quicker than the eye could blink.  
  
Ginny gathered herself off the ground, wiping the dirt off her backside.  
  
She hadn't been strong enough.  
  
That was all she could think. She tortured herself with it as she walked back, somehow finding her way, even though her mind was focused on the self- criticism. Cain could have killed her. He could have done anything to her..his presence seemed to damper her abilities. He made her feel so alone and useless, something she feared above everything else...being alone.  
  
But she was alone. Very much alone.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry wasn't sure how much more he could take. The glances, the flirting, the "accidental" touching. It was just all too much, too fast. The three of them were supposed to be friends..they were always supposed to be there for one another. And there wasn't supposed to be any third wheels in the relationship.  
  
Which is exactly where Harry found himself..the third wheel.  
  
He rounded a corner on the way to the kitchen, using the excuse to see Dobby to get away from Ron and Hermione's irking relationship, and collided into Ginny.  
  
"Whoa!" Harry exclaimed, as he reached out to steady her. "Are you alright?"  
  
But Ginny didn't even glance up. She was just staring at the floor, mumbling under her breath, and her eyes seemed so far away. As if she were lost in another world.  
  
"Ginny?" He asked again.  
  
She didn't even acknowledge him, just moved around him as if he were a tree in her way.  
  
Harry ran to catch up with her. And kept pace next to her as she moved through the halls like a zombie.  
  
"You know, if Filch caught you out this late..." Harry began, trying to get her attention.  
  
"Why wasn't I strong enough?" Ginny mumbled, a strange anger flashing over her face. "Why?" She whispered again.  
  
"What?" Harry asked again, this time even more concerned. "Did someone try and hurt you?"  
  
Suddenly Ginny's head snapped up, and she seemed to finally realize that Harry was there. Her eyes grew wide and she stared at him as though seeing him clearly for the first time.  
  
"Harry!" She exclaimed. "What are you doing out so late?"  
  
Harry stared at her in evident disbelief. "You didn't hear a word I just said, did you?"  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry," she began. They started walking towards Gryffindor Tower. "I haven't been with it lately. Lots of things on my mind."  
  
"But you're alright then?"  
  
"You're beginning to sound like my brother." Ginny said, almost laughing. "Ginny, what's wrong!? Ginny, are you okay!? Ginny are you hiding something from me!?" She mimicked Ron.  
  
Harry chuckled and put his arm lazily around her.  
  
"Your brother cares for you. I would be worried if he didn't show so much affection."  
  
"Well," Ginny responded, smiling at her own inside joke. "I can take care of myself..believe me."  
  
Harry smiled down at her, catching her eye and blushing. He cleared his throat and moved his arm away, suddenly realizing how alarmingly pretty Ginny really was.  
  
"Good-night Harry." Ginny said as they entered the Common Room. The fire was burning down, and it cast a deep glow on Ginny's face. "I enjoyed our small chat. We should do it more often."  
  
"Yeah." Harry agreed.  
  
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and turned away. But not before Harry got a glimpse of a small trail of blood running down her earlobe. He reached out and gripped her arm gently.  
  
She spun quickly, almost in a defensive way, her eyes flashing. But she quickly calmed herself and looked at Harry questioningly.  
  
He touched his finger to her ear, and she went up to meet his hand there.  
  
"Tell me what happened Ginny." He almost pleaded. "Is someone bothering you?"  
  
"Oh, this?" Ginny wiped some of the blood away with her finger. "I accidentally caught it with my fingernail." She indicated, showing him her longer-than-usual fingernails.  
  
He looked at her skeptically, but didn't push it.  
  
"Good-night Ginny"  
  
She smiled in response and moved away.  
  
He watched in silence as Ginny headed sluggishly up the girl's stair. She was hiding something. Something that she shouldn't be hiding.  
  
Harry's curious nature always got the best of him. So now he was determined to figure out what was going on. Why was she always coming in so late? Why was she muttering things about 'not being strong enough'? And who is she defending?  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Draco knew with the first glimpse. Cain was the one. The same vampire that had killed his mother. The same vampire that caused him so much pain and fear.  
  
And the one vampire he was collaborating with.  
  
He had lied to Ginny. And she had believed it. He had been there while she had fought Cain. Draco had even seen the boy die.  
  
That's when he realized that they had no chance. That he had no chance.  
  
So he had formed a plan. A plan that no sane wizard would even consider putting into action.  
  
He was going to conquer his fear once and for all.  
  
Even if it meant losing something else...  
  
  
  
A/N: Okay, I lied. There weren't any snogs in this chapter. But maybe in the next one. Hopefully. I hope to get longer chapters out soon too. Of course you know me...always the procrastinator.  
  
Anyway, I hope everyone liked. If you did, please leave me a review! 


	7. Packages, Sleeping Drafts, and True Iden...

Disclaimer: I'm using J.K. Rowling's characters in my story. All except for Cain that is. Oh, and this is not a crossover fic.  
Facing Fear  
  
Chapter 7 Packages, Sleeping Drafts, and True Identites  
  
"Miss Weasley!"  
  
Ginny's head snapped up off her desk. She rubbed her eyes and stared questioningly at Snape.  
  
"Would you please catch up on your sleep in someone else's class?" He asked harshly, never letting his gaze stray from her. "That'll be ten points from Gryffindor."  
  
He turned back around and Ginny stared daggers at him. She hated not being able to beat a professor up...it would be so much fun.  
  
As class was dismissed, Ginny slung her school bag full of books over her shoulder and stomped out angrily. She had been in a bad mood all day, and Snape only made it worse.  
  
Earlier that morning she had spilt juice all down the front of her robes. In Professor McGonagall's class she accidentally turned Colin Creevy's hair purple, while trying to change her mouse into a purple spool of thread. And during lunch Malfoy had stopped by her table, demanding to see her after Potions.  
  
So, here she was, standing outside of the training room, dreading going in, but for some reason doing it anyway.  
  
She found that Draco wasn't there, and went to set her books down on the table.  
  
After waiting for a few minutes and becoming bored, she decided to rummage through the books and things, looking for something to keep her occupied. She looked through several books with titles like, 'The World of Demons' and 'Vampires for Dummies'.  
  
"Protect Yourself from Evil" Ginny muttered aloud, picking up the book and skimming through it. "Vampire's strongly dislike garlic, loud-pitched noises, and sunlight." Well, Ginny believed the sunlight issue but wasn't certain about the others. She would never be caught dead holding a strand of garlic. The smell would never wash away.  
  
She turned to replace the book back onto the tall shelf as something caught her eye. A small vial was tucked away in the far back of the shelf, hidden from sight if the book was in front of it. She squeezed her hand through the books and brought the vial out into the light. She read the label.  
  
"Sleeping Draft. Very potent. Use with caution. Two drops added to any liquid substance will knock you out for a maximum of three hours."  
  
Ginny stared at the tiny bottle in her hand. Why would Draco have something like this hidden in a bookshelf? This kind of stuff wouldn't work on vampires.  
  
Suddenly a sound outside the door brought Ginny back to her senses. She quickly replaced the sleeping potion and the book, before turning back to the table.  
  
The door flung open and Draco walked in. He seemed tense about something, and Ginny put on her best innocent expression.  
  
"Sorry." He muttered, obviously referring to being so late.  
  
"It's ok." Ginny answered, avoiding his suspicious gaze.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Oh, I was just flipping through some of the books."  
  
His suspicious expression remained, but he didn't mention anything more about it.  
  
He pulled up a stool opposite from Ginny at the high, lab-like table that she was sitting at. Leaning over he placed his elbows on the table, his face only inches away from her own. Ginny pretended to be very interested in her hands, letting her hair fall over her eyes.  
  
"You've been going out at night." It was a statement, not a question. Ginny could feel his breath.  
  
He reached up and tucked her hair back, and gently lifted her chin to meet her eyes.  
  
"Do you realize how dangerous that is?" His tone was firm but placid, as the light hit the unique gray of his eyes.  
  
Ginny wondered how he had known about her going out.  
  
"I thought it was what the Slayer is supposed to do." She answered, her voice wavering a bit. She hated the way he made her feel. Every time he even came close to her she wanted to melt away. "The Chosen One is selected to protect the people from the demons in the world. I couldn't very well do that without going out where the demons hunt."  
  
"The Slayer is also supposed to report everything she does to her Watcher. I'm here for advice, counsel, instruction, and of course for my good looks."  
  
Ginny tried hard not to smile at that but found herself doing so anyway. Draco smirked and leaned his chin in his hands.  
  
"So, that means no more nightly excursions without asking me first." He said.  
  
"Why are you so interested in my whereabouts?" Ginny wondered aloud.  
  
He stared hard at her for a second, making her avoid his gaze.  
  
"I just want to know. If something were to happen to you, the Council would blame me."  
  
Ginny frowned. Was the Council all that he was worried about...was being blamed for her death more important to him that she was? And what about the Sleeping Draft that was tucked securely away behind 'Protect Yourself from Evil'? There were so many unanswered questions.  
  
She cleared her throat and stood. "If that's all you needed, I've got to go."  
  
He nodded, his eyes following her all the way to the door.  
  
"Don't do it anymore Ginny."  
  
"Okay okay," She huffed. "Don't get your knickers in a twist."  
  
She looked up and met his eyes one last time before leaving.  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Draco waited a few minutes, then grabbed his cloak and headed towards Hogsmeade. The sun was quickly sinking, and he expected to be there by sunset. Turning down the alley behind Magical Remedies he waited behind a pile of old crates for Cain.  
  
Cain appeared the same way he did each time. Seemingly out of nowhere. Fashionably late.  
  
"I'm getting tired of waiting so long for you every time we meet." Draco said crossly.  
  
"Ah, my dear Watcher, I'm getting very very hungry. When do we act?" Cain replied, ignoring Draco's accusation at his tardiness.  
  
"Don't call me that." Draco complained again.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Watcher."  
  
"Are you ashamed of what you are Draco?"  
  
"Are you?"  
  
Cain narrowed his eyes at Draco. "If I had a soul maybe I would be."  
  
Draco's expression went void, and he reminded himself of what he was getting into.  
  
"So, when do I get the package?" Cain said, sensing Draco's uneasiness and changing the subject to business. "There's no deal unless I get that first."  
  
"Soon." Draco answered.  
  
"When?"  
  
"This Friday." It was an uncertain answer. To tell the truth, Draco really hadn't thought of when he was going to go through with it.  
  
"Fine. Meet me here with it."  
  
They still were not referring to what the package really was. Draco always felt a pang of obnoxious guilt flow through him when they discussed it. But this is what he needed. Standing here next to a real vampire almost made him collapse with fear. The effort of staying cool was very strenuous. He could tell that Cain was trying to make him feel as comfortable as possible, understanding the immense amount of fear that he caused Draco. But he only did that for himself...he only wanted what Draco could give him. But then again Draco only wanted what Cain could give him.  
  
"Did you talk to the Slayer about coming out to slay at night?" Cain asked. "The other vampires are getting very tired with me. They want to get out and hunt, we can only last so long without food."  
  
"I know." Draco responded. "But I can't have them out while Ginny's out. One of your friends might see her as a nice meal."  
  
"We are vampires."  
  
"I know that! But it would ruin the whole plan if they were to kill her. Then we wouldn't have a deal."  
  
"That's right." Cain said. "You're one lucky boy. This is a delicate business that we vampires put much precision into. We don't choose lightly."  
  
Draco nodded.  
  
"I could have taken her the other night you know." Cain continued. "It would have been so easy...but I respect your efforts, and decided to stick with the plan. It will be more fun this way anyway."  
  
Draco nodded again.  
  
"Quite a doll she is." Cain's eyes got that strange longing in them again.  
  
Suddenly another vampire ran up. He was out of breath and seemed very upset about something.  
  
He didn't give Draco a second glance as he spoke to Cain.  
  
"Some of the others.."  
  
He clutched his stomach and breathed in and out, trying to catch his breath. Draco noticed how annoyed Cain was looking.  
  
"Some of the others went up to that school. They said they were tired of waiting, and wanted to have some fun and eat."  
  
"Bloody prat! I told you to make sure nothing like that happened!"  
  
Draco looked back and forth from the two of them. "Are you telling me that there are vampires headed to Hogwarts right now?"  
  
Draco didn't even wait for an answer. Instead, he just turned and ran.  
  
If they got to Ginny before he did...  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ginny was going to go out tonight. She really didn't care what Draco told her to do. It was what she did, and she enjoyed the time alone, wondering through the cemetery, hunting for the vampires that refused to show themselves. As she was making her way through the dark halls of Hogwarts, she heard a sound, and turned the corner to find her brother, Harry, and Hermione. She hid herself in the shadows and watched as they passed by. It looked like they were headed to the kitchen for a late-night snack.  
  
Something along the far corner of the opposite wall drew Ginny's attention away from her brother and his friends. She realized with horror and dread that one of the living dead was hungrily watching her friends. Ginny strained her eyes to see into the shadows, and smelled the air.  
  
Joy. It wasn't just one vampire. It was three.  
  
She looked from Ron, Harry, and Hermione, to the three demons that were moving steadily out of their hiding places and stealthily following them.  
  
She silently cursed.  
  
This was it. She was going to have to save her own brother, and show them what she really is.  
  
She pointed her wand at the torches hanging on the wall and muttered the lighting spell. The hall suddenly lit up, and she jumped out, a stake hidden behind her back.  
  
"Wouldn't you rather pick on someone with a little more strength?"  
  
Hermione screamed as she turned to see the three hideous creatures behind her. Ron stood stricken, and Harry pulled out his wand.  
  
"Run Ginny!" He yelled at her.  
  
She smiled back at him. "A wand won't do any good on these beasts." Then she turned her attention back to the vampires that seemed confused.  
  
"My brother's a wimp. He won't be fun to kill." She mocked, enticing the demons away from the others. "Now, I on the other hand, will be much more of an exciting challenge for you."  
  
Ginny stepped forward, and the tallest vampire finally realized who she was.  
  
"Well look who we have here boys. It's the Slayer." He said with a cold smile.  
  
Ginny heard Hermione gasp. "Ginny!" She shrieked as the smaller two vampires charged at her.  
  
Ginny allowed her senses and instinct to take over. She wouldn't be able to remember later how she killed them. It just happened..naturally. Soon she had staked one of them, and was about to dust the other one when her attention was diverted at Hermione's scream.  
  
The tall vampire had grabbed Ron, and both Harry and Hermione were trying to pull him away, unsuccessfully.  
  
The vampire next to her took opportunity at her lack in attention, and kicked her feet out from under her. She landed hard on her stomach. Acting like she was knocked out, she lay very still as the vampire prepared to kick her, testing to see if she was conscious. As his foot swung toward her, she grabbed it, jumped up, causing him to fall to the floor and then stabbed him swiftly in the heart. His foot turned to dust in her hand.  
  
She ran over to the others. Harry was knocked unconscious on the floor and Hermione was sobbing, and pointing her wand at the vampire that still had Ron by his hair.  
  
"I'm guessing that this is your brother, seeing as how you both resemble each other. Especially with that bright, delicious red hair."  
  
Ginny glared at the vampire. "Let him go or I swear that you will end up just like your mates."  
  
The vampire chuckled. It was a sickening laugh.  
  
"Ginny..." Ron said feebly, his eyes almost popping out of his head, and his voice all crackly. "This is probably a bad time to ask this, but WHAT THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU!?"  
  
Ginny smiled genuinely for the first time in a long while. It would feel good to not to have to lie to her brother anymore about her indentity.  
  
"Why I'm your own private Slayer, Ron."  
  
"Not for long." The vampire broke in.  
  
Ginny suddenly remembered back to the night she had tried to save the boy and failed. She remembered the way that vampire had unmercifully broken the poor child's neck. She couldn't let that happen to Ron.  
  
Ginny locked eyes with Ron, pleading silently with him to listen to her directions. He nodded to show that he understood.  
  
Moving forward she kept talking to the vampire, using a mocking tone in her voice and keeping his attention away from her brother.  
  
"Did Cain send you here? Did he tell you where to find some small innocent children to suck the blood out of? Wouldn't you rather bring the Slayer back to Cain?"  
  
This caught his attention. His smirk broadened, and he moved his face closer to Ron's neck.  
  
"I'll take you back to Cain as soon as I have this nice little snack."  
  
Ginny rested her hands on her hips.  
  
"Tell you what." She said, once again drawing the vampire's attention away from Ron. "If you let go of him, unharmed, I'll set down my stake and come quietly with you."  
  
She threw her stake towards Hermione, and showed the vampire her empty hands. "Deal?" She asked.  
  
The vampire looked her over, as though pondering her intentions. Finally he pushed Ron away. Ron tumbled to the floor, and looked up at Ginny with horror and wonder.  
  
"Good boy." Ginny said, she was only about 5 feet away from the vampire now.  
  
"It's too bad for you that I always keep a spare."  
  
Ginny grabbed another stake from her robes and threw it with more force than Ron or Hermione had ever seen, directly at the vampire's heart.  
  
The last thing he saw was Ginny's triumphant smile.  
A/N: I really hope that this chapter wasn't too confusing. You will find out more about why Draco is making a deal with the vampire that killed his mother (Cain) and what or who the "package" is in the next chapter.  
  
Thanks to:  
  
The Dragon's Angel: Aw! Thank you!  
  
Luna Writer: Sorry To confuse you! The plot is becoming even more complicated!  
  
Guardian Storm Demon: I wonder that sometimes too :o) Thanks for the sweet review!  
  
Jean B: I'm glad it's refreshing! Thanks!  
  
Yin: Thanks for all the advice. I am trying to get this story done quickly b/c I want it done before the 5th books comes out. So, that's why it probably seems rushed. I've tried to focus more on their emotions, but I don't know how well that's going. Back up info on Cain will be in the next chapter or after that. Thanks for the review! It was very helpful!  
  
Dramagurl: :o) Thank you!  
  
Bumble puppy: I think Ginny makes a good slayer too! Thanks for the encouragement!  
  
Doublekiss: Draco is a sexy whatcher! Lol. Thanks!  
  
Goodgirlsbadboys: Thanks for the review.yeah it is like buffy isn't it? ;o)  
  
Imp: Aw, thank you so much! I am trying so hard to keep it from sounding like a crossover, although many of my ideas are reflected off buffy. (No, I have not stole anything from buffy.) I want to keep it as Harry Potterish as possible.  
  
Melanie Pointe: Glad to hear you love it! Thanks!  
  
Aditya: Your review was so sweet and very encouraging. Thank you lots!  
  
Sayo: ooooooohhhh thannnkkks!  
And thanks so much to anyone I left off! No review was left unread, and all the reviews were taken to heart! Thank you!  
  
Advice and corrections are welcome! Reviews are always wanted! 


	8. Dealing With the Unknown

Facing Fear  
  
Chapter 8 Dealing With the Unknown  
Draco skidded to a halt and took in the scene before him.  
  
Potter was unconscious on the floor, Granger was helping the male Weasley to his feet, and Ginny, well, Ginny was looking very tense.  
  
She mouthed angrily at him. "What are you doing here!?"  
  
He only glared at her, and then straightened his robes, preparing to criticize Granger and Weasley as best he could.  
  
"What happened? Did Potter and Weasley get into a fight over Granger?"  
  
Hermione finally acknowledged Malfoy with a harsh tone.  
  
"Get over yourself Malfoy. They did not get in a fight."  
  
"Shouldn't you be off shining your Head Boy badge?" Ron asked sarcastically, finally finding enough courage to speak.  
  
"No Weasley, I'd much rather be taking points away from you." He added, without even so much as a smirk. He let his eyes wander from Ron, to Hermione, and finally to Ginny. "And as Head Boy, I have a right to know what happened."  
  
Ron snorted.  
  
"You know perfectly well what happened, Dra- uh, Malfoy." Ginny broke in, faltering a bit when remembering how to address him around her brother. "They know who I am, it's not a secret any longer. Three vampires were following them, so I killed the demons, and they saw."  
  
All three were looking very confused.  
  
"What are you talking about Ginny?" Ron asked, his voice beginning to rise. "What does Malfoy have to do with any of this?"  
  
Ginny let her gaze fall on Draco before answering the question. He made eye contact with her, and she saw the flash of anger, but also a different kind of emotion. A sort of lust or satisfied glance, as he acknowledged that she had done it. She had saved lives and put her powers to good use.  
  
"Everything." She finally answered, her voice no more than a whisper.  
  
Ginny hung her head and walked over to Harry. She inspected him, conveniently avoiding Ron's fuming glare. She knew it was coming.  
  
"I am the Slayer Ron." She said, keeping her eyes on the peaceful Harry. "The Chosen One. Here to protect you all from a type of evil that roams the earth. I have power."  
  
She leaned over Harry and took his wrist, checking his pulse. It was normal.  
  
"And Malfoy, well, Malfoy is my Watcher. He trains and prepares me for the things I must fight."  
  
She eventually looked up at the other three. Ron was standing straight as a board, his neck and ears blood red, and his mouth moving slowly, although no words were to be heard. Hermione was staring at Ginny in a strange way, as though trying to see weather or not she was dangerous, and Draco was leaning against a stone statue, his hands tucked into his pockets, an uncaring scowl drawn across his face.  
  
"Should I use some kind of spell to bring Harry back to earth?" Ginny asked, directing her question at Hermione.  
  
"Better not."  
  
Draco had answered her instead. "It's best to let him come around on his own time. Using magic to wake him might cause a concussion."  
  
"A what?" Ginny asked.  
  
"It's a term that muggles use." Hermione answered. She was giving Malfoy a strange look. "A medical term. In other words, it could cause him a lot of brain damage."  
  
Ron, who had previously been unable to voice his rage, seemed to be coming around.  
  
"Why would you trust Malfoy?" Ron asked Hermione and Ginny. "Wouldn't he like nothing better than to see Harry dead?"  
  
Ginny glared along with Draco.  
  
"Well Weasley, if you want to permanently injure you're fainting friend here, go right on ahead and use a spell to wake him." Draco said sarcastically.  
  
Ron pulled out his wand, but Hermione stopped him.  
  
"Malfoy's right." She said with a sigh. "He'll come around soon enough."  
  
"Yeah well he didn't faint." Ron threw in, wanting to get the last word in. "He got knocked unconscious by that bloody vampire while trying to save me."  
  
"Seems to me he has to save your arse all the time." Malfoy drawled. "Except this time he failed and your sister won."  
  
Ron couldn't think of anything to say to that. Instead he stomped off, using a charm to float Harry horizontally in front of them.  
  
Hermione turned to Ginny before following. "I want you to know that I think that you are very special Ginny. I wish you would have told us sooner, but I guess I understand."  
  
Ginny smiled and nodded. "Good-night Hermione."  
  
"You are coming to bed soon?" She asked. Ginny was reminded of her mother.  
  
"Soon."  
  
Hermione smiled and followed a steaming Ron up the stairs.  
~*~*~*~*~  
Ginny turned to face Draco. She was surprised to find him already by her side.  
  
"Come on." He said, taking her by the arm. "Filch could come out at anytime, and it would be hard to explain why I'm walking around with you during the middle of the night."  
  
"You could tell him that you like my company." Ginny said with a hint of sarcasm.  
  
"That would be a lie." Draco smirked.  
  
He led her down into the dungeon and into their private room. Ginny remembered the vial of potent sleeping draft that rested on the bookshelf. There were so many unexplained things that she wanted to ask him, but was afraid to do so.  
  
She started off with the easiest one.  
  
"How did you know I ran into those vampires?"  
  
Draco let go of her arm as they entered the room. He diverted his eyes away, and began busying himself with organizing the table full of books and notes.  
  
"I didn't know." He simply answered.  
  
"But you came running up like the world was about to end." Ginny persisted. "You knew there were vampires in the castle didn't you?"  
  
"I heard some noise. I was just out for a night patrol."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Ginny wasn't convinced. Something inside of her knew that he was lying.  
  
And he was supposed to be the one she could trust. Instead he was keeping secrets, lying, hiding things like vials of sleeping drafts, and avoiding her questioning stares. What was going on? And why was he holding her back? Fighting those vampires tonight proved that she was ready to go out and finish off the rest that terrorized Hogsmeade. Dusting three vampires after only a few months of training was pretty dang good she thought. So, why did her Watcher want her to stay cooped up in her dorm at night?  
  
Frustrated, Ginny turned and left without another word to Draco. She tried to make her way out of the dungeon, and lit her wand to see. She soon found that she was again hopelessly lost. She didn't do well trying to navigate at night. When she came to another dead end, she slumped against the moist dungeon wall, and slid down until she felt the cold floor underneath her. She breathed deeply and took control over her emotions. She wasn't going to cry over a little thing like this. She had been lost in the halls of Hogwarts many times before.  
  
Unexpectedly, she heard footsteps coming down the hall. She extinguished her wand and crouched still in the shadows. The figure passed her, and she knew without a doubt that it was Draco.  
  
"Hey!" She hissed.  
  
He spun around and peered into the darkness.  
  
Ginny remembered that he didn't have the same keen eyesight as she herself had. She stepped out and lit her wand again.  
  
"It's just me."  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"I'm lost."  
  
"What a surprise."  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"You're such a nuisance."  
  
Ginny sighed and pushed him out of her way.  
  
"Fine, I'll just try and find my way out by myself."  
  
"I never offered to help you in the first place."  
  
"Right, because that would be the polite thing to do."  
  
Draco shrugged. "I've never been one to be polite to Weasley dirt like you."  
  
"Watch your mouth. Don't forget that I can kick your arse from here to the moon."  
  
Draco looked down on her, an evil grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. He walked forward, pushing her further into the dark corner.  
  
"I've been 'watching your mouth' for a while now." He said, tilting his head to the side and surveying her with greedy eyes. "And I really like it.."  
  
He brought his mouth hard down onto hers, and leaned forward, ramming her into the wall, his body crushing hers.  
  
Ginny felt his hot breath on her, and every place they touched his skin seemed to burn into hers like fire. He ran his fingers through her hair, tugging through and pulling all the knots. She could feel the small pricks of pain as her hair was yanked, and she prepared to play rough.  
  
His lips pried at hers. His tongue pushed anxiously, searching for entry. Ginny held her mouth firm purposefully, only to have him pinch her side. She gasped and he used the opportunity to slip inside her lips.  
  
As soon as their tongues collided Ginny felt a hot surge of pleasure pierce her. She was shaking, Draco was taking over and winning. He moved her to him, kissing with fire. His hands began slowly inching under her shirt, and Ginny heard the distant echoing counsel in her head. He would take advantage of her. Why did it have to feel so good?  
  
Gripping her hands around his wrists, she yanked his meddling hands away, and with great effort, tore away from the ardent kiss.  
  
"Enough." She said weakly. His touch had left a strange feebleness in her.  
  
Draco's eyes burned into her own. He had a winning smirk on his face as he leaned in for more.  
  
She turned away and repeated her warning.  
  
"That's enough! You've had your fun."  
  
Draco's smirk if anything, broadened. "Are you trying to tell me you didn't find that fun?" He whispered in her ear.  
  
Ginny didn't answer.  
  
"I know you did. No one has ever made you feel that way have they?"  
  
No answer.  
  
"You want more just as badly as I do, don't you?"  
  
"Just take me back upstairs." She whispered.  
  
"Only if you do me a favor."  
  
Ginny looked up, waiting for his request.  
  
"Meet me for dinner this Saturday."  
  
Ginny hadn't been expecting that.  
  
"In the training room. It will be nice."  
  
She searched his expression, wondering if he was leading her on, but found nothing but true hopefulness there.  
  
"Okay." She muttered.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"I said okay! Now take me upstairs before I change my mind!"  
  
He smiled and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "You won't be disappointed."  
  
"Stop that."  
  
He turned with a grin and motioned for her to follow. And after turning down many dark passages, she finally saw the stairs leading up into the Entrance Hall.  
  
"Don't forget now." Draco's voice cut through the darkness. "Seven o'clock on Saturday."  
  
"Right." Ginny murmured.  
  
"Deal?"  
  
Ginny hesitated.  
  
"Deal.." She ran up the stairs and out of sight.  
  
Little did Ginny know that Draco had made a deal just like that a short while ago. With her worst enemy..  
A/N:  
  
Hope everyone likes it!  
  
Thanks to:  
  
Guardian Storm Demon: Thanks again! Oh, and don't be so sure that they will kiss and make up.although they did kiss in this chapter. Lol. Loved the review!  
  
Dragon's Angel  
  
Luna Writer: Sorry I confused you!  
  
Bess  
  
Opal star: I want to know what happens too! I'm not so sure that even I know yet! Hehe  
  
Molly: Lol. You got your snogs! Thanks!  
  
Melanie Pointe: Aw, thanks!  
  
Butterfly kisses: Sorry, I love suspense! Thanks for the sweet review!  
  
Darkshadows: more about Cain is coming soon! Thanks! 


	9. Watching

Disclaimer: me not own.  
  
A/N: I wrote this in a rush, but I edited it okay. Sorry if there are any mistakes. If anyone has any questions, or if you're completely confused about something, don't hesitate to email me! Hope you all like.  
  
Facing Fear  
  
Chapter 9 Watching  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Draco woke up the next morning actually feeling pleased. Things were going so much better now. Soon he could deliver the package to Cain, and get his own gift in return.  
  
Draco lusted after this gift. It wasn't a normal type of lust either. It was severe want, immense coveting, a pain in his chest. And it wasn't like the same way he lusted after Ginny. She made him feel good, and that was it. He couldn't let her beauty get to him..it would spoil everything.  
  
He pushed Ginny out of his mind though as he got ready for class. It wasn't good to dwell on depressing things. It put him in a bad mood. Maybe that's why he never thought about his mother anymore. She was dead. Cain had killed her. And because of that, Draco was left with an empty space, full of fear. Fear of vampires, fear of Cain, and fear of death...  
  
Vampires lived forever.  
~*~*~*~*~  
"How are you feeling Harry?"  
  
Harry smiled up at Ginny as she snuck into his dorm. Everyone else was already in class, but Harry still felt weak and decided to stay in bed. Ginny was just skipping for the heck of it. She didn't need an education anymore anyway.  
  
"I'm alright. Nothing broken, oh, and I don't have any red marks on my neck thank goodness."  
  
Ginny smiled at his attempt at humor. The situation was awkward, as Ron had just explained to him about Ginny being the Slayer this morning.  
  
"I knew something was different about you." Harry said in a meaningful tone. "That night, a while back, when your ear was bleeding..a vampire did that to you didn't it?"  
  
Ginny sighed and nodded. "I'm sorry I lied to you. I was not in a position to tell you what I really was right then. Although I wanted to very badly."  
  
Harry's expression remained flat and unchanged. He was obviously trying to hide his hurt.  
  
"You still like Hermione don't you?"  
  
The question had thrown Harry off guard.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Oh don't play dumb with me Harry. I've known all along that you like Hermione, it's so obvious. At least it was obvious to everyone but Hermione...and Ron."  
  
Ginny stared him down.  
  
Harry met her stare in a trance-like way, until finally a small smile crept upon his face. "You don't miss a thing."  
  
"Come sit." He patted the bed beside him.  
  
Ginny hesitated briefly before doing so.  
  
"Come on Ginny." Harry said.  
  
Ginny blushed.  
  
Harry laughed. "You remind me of your first year self, always dropping things clumsily and blushing every time I even laid my eyes on you."  
  
"Bugger off." Ginny retorted in a playful angry tone. "I was a dork okay?"  
  
She went and pulled back the covers on his bed, ready to prove that she was a big girl now, not some blushing first year.  
  
Harry jumped with surprise and looked at her with shock.  
  
"Cute boxers." She grinned.  
  
This time Harry was the one blushing. Ginny laughed and climbed into the bed beside him, pulling up the sheets at the same time. For the first time she felt like Harry understood her, that he saw her as Ginny, and not just Ron's little sister.  
  
There was a relaxed silence, then, "So tell me Ginny, how do you know that I like Hermione?"  
  
She smiled and turned to look him in the eye. "I notice these kinds of things."  
~*~*~*~*~  
Cain was getting restless. So was the rest of his group. They all wanted to go out and feed in Hogsmeade, but Cain made them go a long ways from London before they even thought about hunting.  
  
The Malfoy boy was right. The Slayer was strong, and she probably had the art of slaying down by now. The disappearance of the three vampires that invaded Hogwarts had not gone unnoticed by his men. They were getting worried too, which is probably the only reason they were going along with Cain and his scheme.  
  
Cain had run across desperate humans before, but never any so desperate as Draco. He was definitely serious about this.  
  
This didn't bother Cain though. He would give the boy what he wanted.  
  
After all, Draco was providing him with the ultimate gift..  
  
The Slayer.  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ginny thought the weekend would never come. And when it did, it was here all too soon.  
  
She still hadn't figured out what to wear for her date with Draco..she was still wondering if she would keep her promise and go. She hadn't told her brother because she knew he would freak.  
  
But it was Friday, meaning she had to find something to wear in less than twenty-four hours..not that she wanted to impress Draco or anything..  
  
Ginny decided she would take some of the money she had saved up and go into Hogsmeade for a dress. It was a Hogsmeade weekend and there would be a lot of students there anyway, hanging out in the streets when it was already dark. She needed to be there in case any bloody vampires decided they were hungry.  
  
So, that afternoon, Ginny left with many other students, to Hogsmeade. She branched off from the others and headed towards a witches designer clothing store that specialized in both casual and eveningwear.  
  
Ginny entered the store, glancing briefly around for anyone she knew. It was practically empty, except for a few browsing customers and a big-haired sales-lady.  
  
"Can I help you with anything?" The sales-lady asked. She was chewing hard on her bubble gum, and her face was plastered with make-up.  
  
"Yeah," Ginny replied. "I'm looking for a nice dress, something for a date."  
  
The lady looked her over, as though determining her size and motioned for Ginny to follow her.  
  
She walked toward the back of the store, pulled a flowing silver dress off the rack and thrust it at Ginny.  
  
Ginny stared at it for a second. It came to about knee-length, was a dull shade of silver, and had spaghetti straps. It wasn't really fancy, but it had taste.  
  
She slipped into the dressing room, tried it on, and stared into the mirror.  
  
"Let me see." The sales-lady demanded.  
  
Ginny stepped out of the dressing room and the lady actually smiled.  
  
"It accents your hair and eyes beautifully." She said wistfully.  
  
Ginny told her she would take it.  
  
After leaving the store, Ginny walked slowly down the street, enjoying the evening breeze, and watching the sun lower on the horizon. As she reached the busier part of town, she decided to sit on one of the benches near Honeydukes. The shadows hid her well, and she was content to just sit and watch the students, making sure they weren't being hunted.  
  
After about half an hour Ginny was surprised to see Draco exit Honeydukes and glance quickly around. What was he doing here so late? Technically all students were supposed to be back at Hogwarts by nightfall. The few lingering students were sure to get caught by Filch or someone on their return, but none of them seemed to care.  
  
But Draco was looking almost nervous, his eyes raking up and down the street. Ginny was sure that he hadn't seen her. She decided that she would follow him when he walked briskly away.  
  
He stopped in front of Magical Remedies, and then turned into the alley behind the store. Ginny followed with curiosity, keeping well out of sight.  
  
She saw Draco near the end of the alley, pacing back and forth anxiously. Ginny had to stop far away and hide behind some old crates, watching intently.  
  
She was even more shocked to see Cain come around the building and confront Draco. Ginny grabbed a stake from underneath her robes, but stopped short as she watched the pair in awe. They weren't fighting. They were greeting each other!  
  
Straining her ears, she tried to hear the conversation between them, but they were whispering, and she couldn't catch a word.  
  
Ginny wanted to reveal herself, kill Cain, and demand that Draco tell her what he was doing, associating with a vampire like Cain.  
  
But she didn't. She just sate there and watched helplessly while the two of them talked. What was going on? What was Draco doing?  
  
Finally Cain seemed to nod, and then turned and disappeared into the shadows. Malfoy sighed and turned away, passing Ginny without noticing, and left.  
  
Ginny did the same. Keeping a good distance away from Draco. Something wasn't right.  
~*~*~*~*~  
Draco had paced back and forth in the alley behind Magical Remedies. Cain came just like he had said.  
  
"So, where is it?" He had asked.  
  
"The package?" Draco said nervously.  
  
"No, my strand of garlic." Cain said sarcastically. "Yes, the package!"  
  
"I need an extra day. I'll have her here tomorrow. Midnight."  
  
"This is your last chance." Cain threatened. "I could have taken her a long time ago..."  
  
Draco had straightened his shoulders, and tried to push away some of his fear.  
  
"That's not true, and you know it."  
  
Cain looked at him, narrowing his eyes questioningly.  
  
"She's stronger than any Slayer the Council has ever come across, and she's the only one that doesn't know it." Draco said, wondering why he was sticking up for her. "She would have won in the end. You need my help."  
  
Cain only nodded. "Tomorrow then." And he disappeared.  
  
Draco sighed and walked back to Hogwarts.  
  
He hadn't seen the Slayer following quietly behind him...  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Sorry the date wasn't in this chap! It will be in the next one most definitely...along with lots of surprises. Hope you all enjoyed. Thanks to all my reviewers..you all mean the world to me! Plz tell me of any mistakes, or just make me happy and leave an encouraging review!  
  
~Syd 


	10. Grief

Disclaimer: J.K Rowling rocks! I'm just a stupid dork hoping to get a few reviews using her characters. Yup.  
Facing Fear  
  
Chapter 10 Grief  
  
~*~  
  
I've put my trust in you  
  
Pushed as far as I can go  
  
And for all this  
  
There's only one thing you should know  
  
I tried so hard  
  
And got so far  
  
But in the end  
  
It doesn't even matter  
  
~*~  
~*~*~*~*~  
Ginny lay on her bed that night in a state of confusion and uncertainty.  
  
What had Draco and Cain been doing, associating like old friends in a dark alley? What was Draco hiding? And why did she ever agree to have dinner with him?  
  
Finally she drifted off into a restless sleep, vampires haunting her dreams.  
The next morning she just moped around her dorm, skipping all meals. It was Saturday. The big date was tonight.  
  
Finally she took a long shower and then tried reading a book for a while, something she hadn't done in a long time.  
  
Then she changed into the dress she had bought yesterday, and fixed her unmanageable curly hair up into an elegant fixture, with only a little help from her wand.  
  
She checked herself one last time in the mirror, and then threw a cloak on over her dress. Why was she trying so hard for Malfoy?  
~*~*~*~*~  
Knocking lightly on the door to the room where she spent so much of her life now, Ginny waited for it to open and then stepped uncertainly inside.  
  
At first glance, Ginny thought that she was in the wrong room. All her training equipment, the bookshelves, the table, everything was gone. In their place was a beautifully laid out table in the center of the room, candles throwing shadows across the walls and making the china sparkle innocently.  
  
There was a large roaring fire in the fireplace, and the couch remained in front of it.  
  
Draco stood up from his seat on the couch, and stepped forward to take her cloak.  
  
"Good evening." His smile almost frightened her, but she shrugged her cloak off her shoulders anyway.  
  
Ginny could feel the heat rise in her face as Draco surveyed her attire. She fidgeted with her hands uncomfortably, waiting for his sign of approval.  
  
He smirked at her timidity. "You look lovely."  
  
Ginny sighed, and he offered her his hand. He was dressed all in black, making his pale skin delicate looking and his gray eyes dance in the light.  
  
He led her to the table and Ginny sat down after he pulled out her chair. It was just like a romantic scene from a novel, Ginny realized. Since when did Malfoy become romantic?  
  
He walked to a small cart near the edge of the room and turned his back to her as he poured the drinks. She couldn't tell if it was wine or some kind of sparkling water.  
  
He placed a glass in front of her plate first, then went around and did the same for himself, and finally settled into his seat.  
  
"So," He began.  
  
"So." Ginny repeated.  
  
They had never been that good at conversation. It always seemed to lead to arguing.  
  
"I guess we should eat then." He took out his wand and waved it, and food of every delicacy imaginable appeared before them.  
  
She took her fork and began eating, taking small bites and glancing up at Draco every now and then. He did the same.  
  
When they finally locked eyes, Ginny decided to break the silence.  
  
"What is all this about?" Ginny asked seriously. "It's not like you at all. . .being kind to such a low Weasley."  
  
"I know." He replied without hesitancy and taking her remark as honesty. "You're intriguing, that's all."  
  
"Intriguing?" Ginny questioned unbelievingly. "You know everything about me Draco. I'm a simple girl, youngest of seven brothers, and destined to save the world from demons. I've kept nothing but small family secrets from you. I've held nothing big back, unlike you who keeps secrets of every kind."  
  
There was a dazed silence after her rambling.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Draco asked, his words even and suspecting.  
  
Ginny faltered for a moment.  
  
"Uh, I don't know. . . there's just things you are keeping from me." She avoided his eyes. "I thought the Watcher was supposed to teach the Slayer, share everything he knows with her."  
  
"I have." He stated deliberately.  
  
"No you haven't!" Ginny exclaimed a little more firmly than intended. "All this is nice, but I want answers, not bribes and questions left hanging."  
  
"You haven't had any of your drink. I made it especially for you." The subject was abruptly changed. "It's my specialty."  
  
"See!" Ginny argued. "You're avoiding the questions again!"  
  
"What questions?" A flash of anger clouded his features. "What do you want to know!?"  
  
Ginny stopped at his outburst. "I want to know what you're hiding from me."  
  
"I'm not hiding anything."  
  
"Don't lie to me."  
  
He sighed and lifted his glass to his lips, taking a long, slow sip. He stared pointedly at her.  
  
She reached for her glass as well, and brought it to her lips, aware of the strange way he was gazing at her.  
  
Ginny took a small sip and realized that the drink tasted and smelled like nothing she had ever come across before. Her enhanced sense of smell caught a whiff of something deadly, and she hesitated. Warnings were going off in her head; pieces were falling into the puzzle.  
  
She set her drink back down deliberately, watching Draco's expression. His face fell, and she saw the flash of rage in his eyes again.  
  
"Why?" Ginny said, her voice low and hurt. She stood up slowly.  
  
"Sit down Ginny." His voice was firm and commanding.  
  
Ginny knew now. The body language, the anger, the blank confusion in his eyes. He was lost. Lost to the world, lost to himself, lost to everything good.  
  
The sleeping potion she had found that day was for her.  
  
He had drugged her drink.  
  
He and Cain were on speaking terms. They had probably been conspiring against here since the beginning.  
  
She stood her ground and Malfoy knew. She had figured it out.  
  
She turned her back on him and reached for the door. With a magical force she was pulled away from it.  
  
"I said, sit!"  
  
She was thrown into her chair, and Malfoy sat across from her, wand in hand. He hadn't taught her much about fighting magic, seeing as how Vampires couldn't use wands. What good was a Slayer against magic?  
  
"This would be so much easier if you would just take the drink Ginny."  
  
"So that you can just hand me over to Cain? Just like that?" Ginny accused. "You aren't even going to give me a small chance to fight? What happened to you Draco? What happened to the faithful Watcher I first met?"  
  
"I was a Watcher." Draco stated, the fire casting flickering shadows across his face. "I watched you, and saw the way you defended yourself against those demons without fear. But you were the one with that power, not me. I want that power Ginny. I'm tire of being scared, of fearing the dark side of the world, of reliving the night a vampire killed my mother."  
  
Ginny felt a small shed of pity for him, but it was quickly pushed aside.  
  
"So, you're handing me to Cain right?"  
  
He nodded without any trace of a guilty conscience.  
  
"What for? What do you get in return? What good will my life bring you?"  
  
"Immortality." He stated simply. "I become one of them."  
  
Ginny sat stunned for a moment. "A demon!" She shrieked. "Draco, there are other ways to overcome fear! But turning yourself into an ugly blood- sucking vampire isn't one of them!"  
  
"Yes it is!" The rage and lust in his face reminded Ginny of her face-to- face experience with Tom Riddle. "I've tried everything! I'm a Malfoy. I'm supposed to be fearless, on Voldemort's side. True, I'm not scared of Voldemort, but I am of vampires. Ever since my mother was killed I've lived my life afraid that some vampire is going to crawl into my bedroom at night and finish me off."  
  
"And then it came to me!" He continued. "I would become a Watcher and face my fear, by fighting for the good side, turning away from all my father had taught me. And hopefully I would sleep in peace again. But nothing changed, except that you came into my life. You had what I wanted: strength against the unknown."  
  
Ginny couldn't believe what she was hearing.  
  
He continued, "So, I got up enough courage to approach Cain. I knew that you could defeat him, even if you didn't believe it yourself. He knew it too. And so I offered a trade. You for my immortality, and the end of fear."  
  
"So that's all I am to you?" Ginny asked, tears threatening to spill. "An object for your own well-being, so that you can overcome this fear of vampires?"  
  
"Don't make this hard Ginny."  
  
"Answer the question! You never actually felt anything for me? It was all just this plan to end your own grief? Well what about mine!? It's not like I haven't ever been afraid of something."  
  
He acted as if he couldn't hear her pleading.  
  
"Please drink this."  
  
He lifted the glass for her again. Calmly she took it out of his hand. Then she wrapped her own hand around it, and bracing herself applied pressure. The glass exploded, it's contents spilling all over the table, along with the blood that dripped from her hand.  
  
Draco leaped up and threw her into the couch. She lost her balance and tumbled back onto it. He was on her in a matter of seconds. She scooted back, trying to get away from him as he towered over her in fury. He took her by the shoulders and pressed her into the cushions.  
  
Ginny braced her hands against his chest, and threw him to the floor. He cried out in pain as he hit the floor.  
  
"Is this what you want?" She asked, pulling out a stake and pressing it to his heart. The light of the fire reflected Draco's angry expression. "Waste your life as a demon, hiding from the Slayer for the rest of your demonic life, until finally one of these cuts right through your heart, and all that remains is a small pile of dust?"  
  
She had him pinned to the floor, and he was struggling hard against her strength.  
  
"I can't let you do that Draco. You know I would have to kill you. It's my duty."  
  
Suddenly he flung his body upward, and Ginny tumbled on top of him, as they rolled in a frenzy of vigorous struggle closer and closer to the fire.  
  
She freed herself from his grasp, and stood up, throwing him against the wall. He stumbled backward, and turned to look at her. She was surprised to find her eyes becoming heavy. All at once everything started to become blurry. She had to prop herself against Draco's chair.  
  
"You took a sip of it." Draco said, laughing coldly. "I didn't think the stuff was that powerful, but I guess one sip was enough."  
  
"I'm going to kill you." Ginny spoke in a slurred voice. She could feel the strength leaving her body, and the sleeping potion taking over.  
  
She slipped out of consciousness.  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. Thanks to all my reviewers! 


	11. Taking Care of Business

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., and etc. Except for Cain. . . he's all mine!  
Facing Fear  
  
Chapter 11 Taking Care of Business  
~*~*~*~*~  
The bed she was lying in was much softer than she was used to. The linens were made from a fine silk, and she lay contently on top of them, not yet fully awake.  
  
She didn't want to wake. Her dreams had been so pleasant and peaceful, her sleep deep and refreshing.  
  
A soft groan escaped her lips, and she went to stretch her arms, slowly opening her eyes at the same time.  
  
Everything was wrong.  
  
Ginny Weasley wasn't at Hogwarts anymore.  
  
The memory of what had happened hit her with full force. How long now had it been since she had taken a small sip of that deceiving drink? She sat up with a jolt, quickly taking in all her surroundings. She instinctively felt for her only weapon. She had no stakes with her, and her wand was gone as well.  
  
Ginny was in a glamorous room. It had no windows, and the walls and floor were made of a hard stone, but the furniture and bed were magnificent and rich. The carpet was a midnight black, the canopy bed a deep maroon, the drapes matching perfectly. Three chairs sat around a small table, the chairs finely upholstered and rimmed in a gold paint, the table-top a gleaming marble.  
  
There was only one door as far as she could tell. It was made of a thick- looking wood, and Ginny knew that it would be locked. But she had to know for sure.  
  
She slid off the bed and saw that she was still in her evening dress; only her heels had been removed.  
  
Padding softly across the carpet, and reaching the door, she tried the handle, and found it locked as she had expected.  
  
Ginny leaned heavily against the door and willed herself to breathe, and to remain calm. She could handle herself. . . there was no need to be frightened and become unable to concentrate on her goal. That goal happened to be escaping. . . then she would deal with Malfoy, the slimy git.  
  
She sunk down into one of the fine chairs, and sighed deeply. Never before had she felt so alone and deserted. Never before had she felt so betrayed. Malfoy's words still ran through her head.  
  
i"So, I got up enough courage to approach Cain. I knew that you could defeat him, even if you didn't believe it yourself. He knew it too. And so I offered a trade. You for my immortality, and the end of fear."i/  
  
He had told her that she was capable of defeating Cain right then. Although, he had told her many lies as well, leading her to believe for so long that maybe he could really be a good person. Her brother had been right all along. . . no Malfoy can be a moral person.  
  
Was this Cain's hideaway? Or was it Draco's house? They were known for their ample money.  
  
Suddenly a sound from somewhere outside her prison-room alerted Ginny. She could faintly hear an easy-going walk coming from outside her door, a pair of shoes slapping softly against the floor.  
  
She watched, preparing herself as she heard locks unclick, and the handle gradually turn.  
  
"Well good evening."  
~*~*~*~*~  
"At last!" Cain had said to Draco as he brought the Slayer to him in the cover of darkness. Draco could only refer to her as 'the Slayer' and not as a person. For she was not really a person to him. . . he could never have even thought for a moment that there was something between them. There had never been that spark; that thrill that he got when his fingers brushed hers, when his lips connected with her own. But even as he carried Ginny's sleeping figure and handed her rather reluctantly to Cain, he knew he was lying to himself. He had fallen for her; he was ruining his plans.  
  
This can't happen! His brain screamed. This was his only chance for sanity. His only chance for what he wanted most in life. How had the chance for immortality suddenly been replaced by a miniscule spark that some lame girl gave him?  
  
Cain turned and headed back up the long winding drive. Draco had wondered where the vampire hid during the day, and was surprised at the beauty and majesty of his home. It was built in the old fashion, very gothic and intense. As they reached the magnificent double front doors, Draco looked at Cain in awe.  
  
"It was my ancestors." Cain said, reading Draco's mind. "They were quite wealthy." It wasn't a bragging tone, just a statement. "Not many people know that it's still back here."  
  
The manor was situated in the middle of the Forbidden Forest. Draco sensed the presence of magic around it, and wondered if it was hidden by something other than the trees.  
  
He followed Cain inside and through many lavish and dark corridors. Finally they stopped outside a plain door near the west-wing of the mansion. Cain opened the door to reveal a bedroom, and placed the sleeping Slayer gently on the silk laden bed.  
  
Cain removed Ginny's heels and then walked quickly out, a startling smile on his face.  
  
"Do you live alone?" Draco asked, trying to keep his voice steady as the full impact of what he had just done hit him, right as the door to the bedroom slammed closed, blocking Ginny from his view.  
  
"Yes." Cain said. "I don't allow the others to stay here. They have no manners."  
  
Draco knew he was referring to the other vampires, most of whom hadn't had a shower since they were sired. Cain seemed much more refined than that.  
  
He motioned for Draco to follow. Soon they came to a study where Cain invited Draco to sit.  
  
"I was beginning to worry if you would keep our deal." The vampire said, going to stand in front of the blazing fire, which served as the only light in the room.  
  
"I was beginning to worry as well." Draco answered. "As a matter of fact I've been worried ever since you killed my mother." It was the first time he had ever brought it up to the demon. Draco wasn't even sure if Cain had made the connection yet.  
  
But apparently he had. His eyes met Draco's, a burning hunger evident. "I was wondering if you realized that it was I who killed her." Cain began. "You are not so easily forgettable Malfoy, when you first approached me with your deal, I knew right away who you were."  
  
Draco said nothing, a stony glaze coming over his face.  
  
Cain continued, "So, I realized exactly what this was all about since the beginning. I killed your mother and you were suffering because of it. I immediately ruled out the chance that you may secretly be plotting how to destroy me, because of your obvious fear."  
  
Fear. There was that word again; coming from the very mouth of a creature he feared most.  
  
"I believed that you really wanted to become one of us."  
  
"Yes," Draco interrupted. "And I've held through my end of the deal, so now it's your turn."  
  
Cain's face twisted into that strange smile again. And he moved away from the fireplace.  
  
"That's just it Malfoy." Cain's voice was amused and mocking. "Vampires are never to be trusted."  
  
And like the speed of light he had turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him, the click of locks registering the hard truth in Draco's head. He reached for his wand.  
  
It wasn't there.  
~*~*~*~*~  
"Well good evening."  
  
Ginny's breath caught in her throat as Cain gracefully entered the room, turning his back to her for only an instant to close and lock the door.  
  
He turned back around, the soft candlelight accenting his defined cheek- bones and gleaming blue eyes. He was dressed in black slacks and a gray oxford. The clothes were muggle, and if she hadn't been the Slayer, Ginny would have mistaken him for quite a good-looking muggle at that. But he wasn't a muggle, wasn't a wizard, wasn't even human.  
  
Silence filled the room and Ginny stood slowly up, bracing herself for his wrath.  
  
"You needn't stand, Ginny." The sound of her name rolling smoothly off his tongue startled her. How could something so evil look and act so good?  
  
"I would rather stand, Cain." Ginny said, accenting his own name.  
  
He smirked and sauntered easily toward her.  
  
"I thought of a brilliant idea tonight Ginny." He said casually, like they were old friends.  
  
That makes two then, Ginny thought sarcastically. She doubted his idea would be any more brilliant than Malfoy's had been.  
  
"You see," Cain continued. "Your Watcher wants what I have. . . endless time on earth. I could give that to him, after all he did come through on his end of the deal, but I really don't want to."  
  
He said that almost blissfully, grimacing in mock at Malfoy's stupidity.  
  
"Instead, I've locked him up as well, planning for a later dinner."  
  
Ginny looked up abruptly, clenching her fists. So Draco was still alive, and apparently still had a soul.  
  
"What I'm offering you is eternal life." Cain said, coming around the table and stopping only a few inches away from Ginny. She felt her stomach twist in knots, felt his heavy breath on her neck. "You could live with me, here. We don't have many woman vampires; they are too easily killed. But you Ginny, you would be a survivor, and my companion."  
  
Ginny stood still, her heart racing, propelling the quick-moving blood through her viens. She wondered briefly if Cain could hear her pumping heart, sense the rush of blood. And she caught herself wondering what life after death on earth would be like.  
  
"Would you like that Ginny?" His hand slid sensuously up her back. "This manor, it's mine." He whispered. "I killed the owners about two hundred years ago, and have been looking for a wife to live with since then."  
  
The word 'killed' brought Ginny's common sense back from the corner of her mind. This vampire had killed maybe hundreds of innocent people, including the little boy she had been unable to save that fateful night. A vampire's wife? The wife of an animal?  
  
"I'd rather die." Ginny stated, her voice firm but quiet.  
  
She saw the flash of anger in Cain's eyes, and he snatched her roughly to his chest. His grip was like one of steel, she could feel his muscles bulging.  
  
"That's the other option." Cain said, his face dangerously close to hers. Ginny felt the flutter of her stomach again and mentally cursed. "Death can easily be arranged, so don't tempt me. I wouldn't mind having a double helping of dinner tonight."  
  
Ginny's felt her jaw clench. "So you aren't even going to give Malfoy what he went through so much trouble to get?"  
  
Cain laughed heartily, and stroked one hand slowly through Ginny's disheveled hair. "He is young and threatening. I don't want a vampire like him hanging around, he might take over my high position."  
  
"What position?" Ginny's tone was hard and hateful.  
  
"The position I hold among my kind. They all fear me, and would do anything for me. I fear young Malfoy would not if given the answer to his weakness and overcoming it. He's a likely choice for vampire, and the others are already getting sick of me after only a couple hundred of years, and are ready for a new leader."  
  
"I don't blame them." She responded sarcastically.  
  
Cain smirked, taking it as a compliment. "What can I say? I just play the part of an over-domineering leader too well." He smiled at his own humor.  
  
Ginny was beginning to feel to unsure of herself in Cain's grasp and wanted out. His hand was still stroking lazily through her hair, the other clutching her waist tightly, his blue eyes burning with heat into her own.  
  
"I'm sure you were once a good person, Cain." Ginny said. "But those days are over, and you are definitely too old for me. I might have been interested a couple of centuries ago, when you were still human."  
  
"This is an offer of a lifetime." Cain whispered, ignoring Ginny's smart comments.  
  
Ginny hesitated a moment, the closeness of their bodies giving her an idea. Cain must have locked the doors with a key or something. . . She replaced her feelings of disdain and masked it with desire.  
  
"I know." She whispered back, her tone smooth and sexy. His face lit up and she leaned in, placing her lips softly on his lips, and wrapping her hands around his own waist, fingers instantly searching.  
  
He responded to the kiss hungrily, and Ginny knew time was short. She had to push the thought out of her mind that she was actually kissing a demon, and let her hands wander farther down his back.  
  
She was surprised when her fingers closed over a thin, hard object that he had tucked into the back pocket of his pants.  
  
Suddenly Cain's face transformed as he pulled away from her, the same moment Ginny pulled the object out of his pocket.  
  
It was a wand.  
  
"Magic's no good against me!" Cain said, and Ginny saw the gleam of his white teeth, two of them longer than any humans. "You are a sneaky Slayer. I quite hoped you would realize your choices and wisely take my offer. But I can see that you are stubborn."  
  
"My mum always told me that." Ginny said, and he bounded towards her.  
  
She leaped up onto the table, and he slammed into her chair, knocking it to the floor. Ginny dived for the bed, and slipped, throwing her hands up and letting her fingers catch onto the drapes that covered the canopy. She regained her balance and watched as Cain moved angrily her way. She rolled forward on the large bed and tumbled to the floor on the other side, pointed the wand to the door and yelled, "Alohomora!"  
  
Her sensitive hearing picked up the click of locks being unlocked, and she scrambled to her feet, picked up her skirts, silently cursing the fact that she had bought such a difficult dress to manuver in, and ran toward the door.  
  
She felt his presence behind her, and he lunged at her, grabbing her around the ankle and yanking her back to the floor with a great amount of force. As she hit the floor he crawled forward, trying to desperately pin her to the ground.  
  
Ginny rolled over and kicked, sending him flying towards the bed post. He hit it and crumpled over.  
  
She ran.  
  
She had to find Malfoy, as much as she was tempted to just leave him.  
  
But the chase wasn't over yet.  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Another small cliffy. Sorry bout that. Anyhoot, thanks again to all my wonderful, kind, and absolutely spiffing reviewers! There are so many, and I would love to mention you all by name, but if you want this chapter out now, I can't. I will be sure to next chapter! Thanks again! 


	12. A Change In Plans

Disclaimer: All mine. Except for the characters. . . yeah, unfortunately they aren't mine. But I can pretend.  
  
A/N: Hello all my wonderfully patient readers! I am sorry this has taken so bloody long. I have been extremely busy lately . . . okay, extremely lazy as well. I'm sorry to say that this is not one of my favorite chapters, but only because of one little incident. I had to kill off someone, and the one I chose was one of my favorite characters! Alright, enough hints, everyone read and review!  
Facing Fear  
  
Chapter 12 A Change In Plans  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
Draco beat against the door with a raging temper. Suddenly he was no longer afraid of Cain . . . only very angry. Yet that was easier to think when the demon wasn't in the same room with him, when his blood didn't run cold at just Cain's mere presence.  
  
His wand was gone, and he assumed that Cain had taken it, although Draco didn't know how.  
  
All this meant that Ginny would die in vain. He had failed completely. But suddenly it didn't bother him that he no longer would become a vampire . . . it only scared him to think of what might be happening to Ginny at this very moment.  
~*~*~*~*~  
Her heart beat insanely as she ran as well as she could in her dress. She was glad now that she was bare-foot; running in heels would have been difficult and noisy.  
  
Ginny wanted to just leave, escape while she had the chance. But the thought of Cain killing Draco held her back. She decided not to leave him behind. She might kill him herself later, but she wasn't going to leave him to die at the feet of the only thing he had ever feared.  
  
She continued throwing open doors as she ran down the corridor. Clueless to where in the gigantic mansion she was, Ginny could only head east, hoping against all odds that it was the right way out.  
  
A faint pounding alerted her hearing, and Ginny recognized the sound of knocking on wood. Someone was trapped in a room close by. She was ready to bet it was Malfoy.  
  
With new determination, she picked up speed, rounded a corner, and headed toward the noise. Large paintings of many different people hung in the corridors, unmoving and staring at Ginny as she ran by. They were creepy, the lifeless eyes watching her in the dark. There were also statues and armed knights lining the hallway, the pale light glistening on them threateningly. She rounded one more corner and heard the knocking abruptly end.  
  
Seconds later she knew why.  
  
A door stood open toward the end of the corridor in which she was standing in. A glowing light spilled out from the room into the corridor, and she heard angry voices.  
  
One of the voices was Draco's.  
  
The other was Cain's.  
  
She began running again, and knocked into a suit of armor by mistake. It rattled noisily, and the axe that the figure had been holding fell to the marble floor.  
  
Ginny finally had a weapon.  
  
"Thanks." She whispered to the armor as she picked up the axe and gripped it carefully before dashing into the nearby room.  
  
Cain had Draco up against the far wall, and he turned on Ginny as she ran in, fangs erect and hungry.  
  
"Get out Ginny!" Draco yelled as Cain advanced.  
  
"Shut up you slimy git!" Ginny yelled in response. "I'm saving your arse here!"  
  
"Well, I didn't think you'd be back for this worthless piece of matter." Cain drawled. Ginny held the axe up threateningly.  
  
"It's over Cain." Ginny said solemnly. "You won't win."  
  
"I always win Ginny, don't underestimate my power."  
  
As he moved toward her, Ginny noticed Draco move forward from the corner of her eye.  
  
"Life is so short anyway Slayer," Cain continued, unaware of Malfoy moving closer to the pair. "Just say the word, and you can live with me, here on earth for eternity!"  
  
"So you're going to give her what I asked for?" Draco asked from behind Cain. He whirled and glared down on Draco. "Tut tut Cain. How discriminating. And after I put so much faith in you."  
  
Ginny instantly saw the change in Draco. He was no longer afraid. Maybe he had never really been afraid, he had just been using that as an excuse. The emotions had built up inside of him through all these years. Watching his mother die had been a permanently damaging experience.  
  
"Don't be so hasty boy." Cain said, obviously sensing the change in Draco's attitude as well. "Or you might just end up the first course on the menu."  
  
"Oh," Draco said with amusement. "Didn't you hear? Dinner's canceled."  
  
Draco smirked, it was a smirk that Ginny was so used to seeing, one that he gave her all the time. He had always been a stuck up, evil, Slytherin, and always would be. But that didn't mean he wasn't capable of some good . . . or at least able to correct his mistakes.  
  
Cain was trapped.  
  
Trapped between a Slayer and her Watcher.  
  
With one swift move Ginny slammed her axe into Cain's heart, an ear- splitting shriek filled the room, the house, the woods, and sent a pang of fear through every demon's black heart. And just as quickly a pile of dust was left in his place.  
  
Now there was only two left in the room. Draco caught her eye and smirked one last time before grabbing her and smashing his lips down onto hers.  
  
She allowed it to go on for her own pleasure before yanking away and landing a hard slap onto Draco's cheek.  
  
"I hate you."  
  
The words were met with another smirk. He had almost gotten them both killed, and still she had feared for his life through the whole thing. Hell, he had purposefully plotted her death, and still she couldn't abandon him.  
  
"Weasley, you look like crap." He glanced down at her torn dress and bare feet. "But then your family never has been able to afford anything but rags for their children."  
  
Everything was back to normal.  
  
"You better thank me you little ungrateful brat! And then you better apologize! I did good tonight, and I deserve my due credit."  
  
"You did well." He corrected her grammar.  
  
"I did good."  
  
"Well."  
  
The argument could last for hours if Ginny allowed it. She turned on her heel and stormed out of the room, Draco following close behind.  
  
"Can't even talk properly, can you Weasley?"  
  
"I'm still waiting for my apology and thanks."  
  
"I don't owe you any bloody apology." He was doing this on purpose, just to annoy her and she knew it.  
  
She turned to yell in his face again, but he was too quick, and grabbed her around the waist.  
  
"Well done Ginny." He whispered seriously into her ear. "I am sorry."  
  
"You are sorry and expelled too." Ginny responded. "You are guilty of attempted murder."  
  
"Murder is such an ugly word."  
  
"It's an ugly crime too."  
  
"You don't really want me expelled do you?" He asked, his voice purring smoothly in her ear.  
  
"I hate you." She repeated.  
  
It wasn't true.  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Evening Ron." Ginny said coolly as her brother, Harry, and Hermione all jumped up from the couch in the Common Room. Draco had left her at the Portrait Hole and headed to his own dorm.  
  
Ron's face turned an angry shade of red and Ginny prepared herself for the explosion. "GOOD EVENING MY ARSE!"  
  
"That's not a very nice way to greet me. I just came back from a hard night at work."  
  
"In a dinner gown!?!" Ron argued, obviously connecting the dots. "You are not to be seeing Malfoy outside of your bloody little training courses!"  
  
"I'll see whomever I wish Ron." Ginny said, never raising her voice. "Goodnight."  
  
She left the three of them standing there, two bewildered, and one extremely angry.  
  
She slept better that night than she had in months.  
~*~*~*~*~  
A/N: It isn't over yet! ::crowd groans:: Yes, there will probably be one more chapter, just to tie things up! I am thrilled with all my wonderful reviews and I want to thank all of you! 


	13. A Priceless Find

Disclaimer: Do not own  
  
A/N: This chapter has taken so bloody long to get out, and I apologize. I won't talk. . . I have no time to talk anyway, so I just want to say thanks to all the great reviewers! I will get your names in the author note I write, but this is the last chapter you will see. Hope everyone enjoys it! 3 Sydney  
  
Facing Fear  
  
Chapter 13 A Priceless Find  
  
~*~  
  
"Fear is in the mind, like pain . . . it can be controlled."  
  
~*~  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I want to fight you."  
  
Ginny walked into the training room early the next morning, and found Draco at his usual spot behind the table, leaning over some book, learning about some new demon.  
  
He raised a brow quizzically without ever looking up, only barely acknowledging her demand.  
  
"I want to fight you. No more equipment. Just you." She smiled to herself; this was her revenge. She wouldn't tell Dumbledore, she wouldn't tell Ron, or Harry, or anyone about what Malfoy had put her through. It had all been a lesson for her, true, it had been the wrong way to go about teaching a lesson on Malfoy's part, but a good one all the same. If she wasn't going to tell on him, then she would simply get her revenge by beating the crap out of him.  
  
But still he didn't look up.  
  
"Warm up, Weasley."  
  
Ginny laughed. Truly laughed and walked easily over to where Malfoy was seated.  
  
"Teach me something new." Ginny demanded. "Or die trying."  
  
He smirked, as if finding it funny that she would even try to hurt him.  
  
"Alright." He relented. "Move over there."  
  
They moved over to an open space.  
  
"Now, I'm an evil vampire." Draco started.  
  
"Surprise, surprise." Ginny interrupted sarcastically. "Just what you always wanted."  
  
Draco dropped his arms and stood straight. "Do you want to fight or what?"  
  
Ginny smirked herself, but then stopped the teasing. "Yes."  
  
"Then shut up, and come at me like you would if you were going to stake a vampire."  
  
Ginny leaped at him, threw a punch towards his face, which he ducked. He barreled into her with his back and head bent down, and knocked her to the ground. She immediately rolled over towards the wall, pushed him against it, and stood up. She kicked him in the abdomen, and while he bent forward in pain, she grabbed him by the cuff of his collar and pulled him to his feet. He grabbed at her shoulder and with a grunt tried to get a hand around her neck. But she was quicker, and instead had her hand around his neck, and her other took his arm and twisted it behind his back.  
  
"Now," Ginny stated. "All I have to do is jerk your neck around and you would be as dead as any vampire."  
  
Ginny could feel him swallow, and suddenly could feel the heat in the room. She could smell Draco's scent, that wondrous, enchanting aroma. Abruptly she released him, and he stumbled forward only slightly.  
  
"Right," He stated, catching his breath. "Looks as if I've taught you well."  
  
"Pfft." Ginny murmured. "I pretty much taught myself. You were only good for getting us in life-threatening situations."  
  
His eyes left hers and he moved back to his original seat, wincing only slightly as he sat down on his sore bum.  
  
"I was going through a rough time, okay Weasley?" He said, deliberately stating the obvious. "I know I messed up, but you don't know what it's like to see someone you care about die. Not that I ever cared for my mother that much . . ."  
  
It was a typical guy thing to say, Ginny realized. She also realized that this was his way of trying to apologize, trying to explain.  
  
"I don't need explanations Malfoy." Her hard tone softened. "It's okay. Just forget about it."  
  
He caught her eye and laughed. "Forget about it? Sure, that's going to be quite easy."  
  
Ginny's temper soared. "Well, what am I supposed to say!?"  
  
He looked her from head to toe and then smirked.  
  
"Forget about it is good."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Tell me why we are doing this again, Ron?"  
  
Harry glanced at his best friend, who was striding purposefully toward the Forbidden Forest. Hermione was walking fast, next to them, trying hard to keep up with their longer strides.  
  
"I thought you hated the forest. Especially the forest at night." She stated, shivering as she glanced uneasily about the Hogwarts grounds.  
  
"I do."  
  
"So," Harry asked in his patient way, "Why are we following Ginny and Malfoy in there?"  
  
"Because we don't trust Malfoy." Ron said angrily.  
  
"He is her Watcher you know, they are only training." Hermione said.  
  
"Don't ever trust a Malfoy."  
  
Harry grinned at Hermione and then turned again to Ron. "Sounds to me like you don't trust Ginny."  
  
Ron stopped abruptly, and glanced up again to run his eyes along the border of the forest, checking for Ginny and Malfoy.  
  
"Come on, they are already way ahead of us." Ron changed the subject.  
  
"Ron!" Hermione grabbed his arm and slung him around. "Look me in the eyes and listen." Harry smiled at her diligence. She continued. "Now, Ginny is sixteen years old, going on seventeen, she is more than capable of taking care of herself, and she doesn't need a babysitter. If you were my brother I would probably be going after guys like Malfoy too."  
  
Harry laughed, but quickly died off at the expression Ron gave him. It was one of fury and reluctance.  
  
"But she's my little sister! And he's Malfoy!"  
  
"Right, so it's better to just leave them both alone." Harry said, turning around and heading back toward the castle. Hermione followed him.  
  
"No!" Ron shouted. "Come back! All we have to do is just check on them . . . make sure nothing is going on."  
  
"That sounds like spying, Ron." Hermione called over her shoulder.  
  
"If you want to go into that bloody forest than leave us out of it." Harry exclaimed.  
  
Ron stood fuming for a moment, looking from the forest, and back to his friends.  
  
He turned around to follow them with a sigh.  
  
"That's what I thought." Harry said, knowing that his friend wouldn't be caught dead alone in that forest.  
  
"Shut up Harry."  
  
Harry grinned at him. "Get over it Ron."  
  
Ron sighed again and joined them.  
  
"I will . . . in a few years or so."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ginny sprinted ahead of Draco, motioning for him to wait as she dashed through the trees, their clinging branches brushing her face, leaving deep scratches. She had a stake ready in her hand and she heard the scuffling of feet as she approached a cluster of thick bushes. Two vampires leaped out into the path in front of her, the first charged at her hungrily, his fangs erect and his face a grotesque shape. She easily put the stake through his heart, and a piercing shriek filled the night as he dissolved to the ground.  
  
The other vampire had caught on that Ginny was not some innocent schoolgirl, and he fled. The Slayer followed him closely as he weaved in and out of the trees. The demon was running fast and he seemed to know where he was going. Ginny could only do her best to follow and hope that she didn't lose sight of him. The terrain was getting rougher, and the land steeper.  
  
Suddenly a rushing sound reached her ears, and for a moment Ginny couldn't figure out what the sound was. But she knew in only a matter of seconds as the vampire veered off the path. She came to a halt behind him and stood in awe. They were at a cliff, probably a hundred meters high, and below there was a rushing river, with many sharp rocks at the bottom. Trees lined the cliff on both sides of the river and a worn plank bridge was stretched from cliff to cliff above the foaming water. Ginny had not known of this river, and she doubted that Malfoy had ever been this deep into the forest either; he probably knew nothing of it also.  
  
She turned her attention back to the vampire, who in turn gave her a wicked smile and started across the rickety bridge. It was a rope bridge that swung from side to side as the vampire crossed carefully. . . he obviously knew where all the weak points on the bridge were, because he kept stepping carefully around certain planks.  
  
Ginny decided rashly to follow the vampire's steps. She wanted him truly dead so that he wouldn't lure other vampires, or humans, to the forest.  
  
She started timidly across, stepping lightly from plank to plank as she had seen the vampire do, and held her arms outward for balance. She estimated the distance to the opposite cliff to be about forty or less meters.  
  
After only a couple of steps, a sound alerted her senses from behind. She whirled around to find the most hideous creature staring at her, breathing heavily and looking quite angry. It was about eight feet tall, a demon like no other she had ever seen. It had curled horns growing out the top of his scabbed head. Its face was permanently distorted, and rough, shaggy hair fell into his face and covered his glowing eyes. The creature let out a war-like call and lifted the club that he had at his side with a threatening look at Ginny.  
  
She glanced back at the vampire who was scuffling off into the bushes on the other side of the river and decided to forget about him for the moment.  
  
"Alright." She said to the demon creature. "Move out of my way now."  
  
A deep gurgle came from the back of his throat, and Ginny realized that he was laughing at her.  
  
In anger she sprinted towards him, landing a hard kick right into his chest as she reached the foot of the bridge. He stumbled back only a bit but quickly regained his composure and charged at the Slayer.  
  
"Whoa!" Ginny cried as he grabbed her by the neck. "Get your filthy, demonic hands off me!"  
  
He walked calmly to the edge of the cliff and holding a struggling Ginny by her neck, dangled her over the edge with glee.  
  
Ginny whimpered and cast a quick look down to the rocky water below. The demon laughed again.  
  
"Bye-bye little girl." He said in a coarse voice.  
  
"She's no little girl." A familiar voice from behind the demon said.  
  
The demon turned and flung Ginny aside. But he was quickly met with a spell of sparks and charms that were expertly cast by Malfoy. The demon's raucous scream filled the air as he seemed to explode from the inside and rocketed into pieces in front of their eyes.  
  
"You need to teach me that one." Ginny said as she pulled herself up off the ground.  
  
"Obviously."  
  
"I thought I was just a vampire slayer." Ginny stated with annoyance. "Does this mean I have to be an demon slayer too? I certainly hope not because that thing smelled really bad."  
  
Draco rolled his eyes and turned around to head back towards Hogwarts.  
  
"Seriously now Draco, what was that thing?"  
  
"A bad-smelling demon." He retorted, with a sarcastic undertone.  
  
"Oh come on." Ginny complained. "You must know.you read all those books on them don't you?"  
  
"Yes, you might try picking one up yourself and learning some stuff on your own profession."  
  
"Why should I do that when that's what you are for?" Ginny declared with a smart grin.  
  
Draco turned and grabbed her shoulder. "Is that all I am to you? I just saved your life." He narrowed his eyes and Ginny found herself lost in them for a moment.  
  
"Uh, oh yeah." She stuttered. "Thanks I guess."  
  
"That's all I get?" Draco asked, a small smirk playing on his face. "A measly 'thanks'?"  
  
Ginny was becoming nervous at his touch and she tried to shrug his hand off her shoulder before she did something stupid . . . her lips already seemed to be puckering up. They had a mind of their own. But Draco didn't let go.  
  
"Hmm? Is that all Ginny?" His eyes were raking her face, and the smirk growing larger.  
  
"I don't . . . don't know what else I can do." She muttered.  
  
"Oh, I'm sure I can think of something." Draco whispered, moving his head closer to hers.  
  
"Really?" Ginny said nervously.  
  
He didn't respond but instead placed his lips lightly on hers. They lingered there for a moment and then pulled hesitantly away.  
  
"Yes, really."  
  
Ginny smiled. He placed his hand in hers and they walked through the forest together.  
  
"You want to go read some?" Ginny asked as they emerged from the darkness of the forest.  
  
Draco didn't have time to answer, as a vampire crashed through the trees.  
  
"Watch out!" Ginny yelled as she pushed Draco to the ground and leaped over him. With a quick thrust she plunged a stake into the vamp's heart and he was gone.  
  
"I could have handled him." Draco said defensively as he stood up and brushed off his robes.  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Does that mean you are completely over your fear of vampires?"  
  
He looked at the place where the vampire had stood and then back to Ginny, who still held the pointed stake in her hand.  
  
"I suppose so." He responded. "I think I should be much more frightened of you."  
  
Ginny smirked and pocketed the stake.  
  
"My name does send fear through all the vampire's dark hearts."  
  
Draco only stared at her.  
  
"Okay, well maybe not yet . . ." Ginny admitted. "But one day."  
  
He smiled and took her hand again.  
  
"One day Ginny . . . after much more of my expert training."  
  
Ginny laughed and walked back to the castle with him. Her life had changed so much, and at first she had resented it. At first she had blamed Draco . . . he had ruined it with his stories of vampire slaying and Chosen One's. But now . . . now she couldn't be happier. She had found her place and he had helped her.  
  
Maybe she had helped him too, Ginny realized. After all . . . he wasn't afraid of vampires anymore. They had faced their fears together, and found something priceless in return.  
  
Love.  
  
~ The End ~ 


End file.
